Fear Itself
by theAnGerFlarE
Summary: Loki knows that the battle with himself and the God of Death isn't over. With the reluctant help of the Avengers, Loki tries to fix his wrongdoings. But with a jealous ex-wife and many enemies, he must rise above fear itself to win the battle. The voice of Thanos still rings in his ears, "When I am done, you will long for something as sweet as pain." (Sequel to Powers Within)
1. Beware the one that deceives and lies

_***Attention all new readers!* You should probably go back and read 'Powers Within', which is the first story. The characters aren't going to be reintroduced. Sorry. :/ But for my old readers- I'm glad your here! I hope you'll like what I have in store for you. **_

_**Please review as much as you can. Reviews make me a happy writer. ^_^**_

_**Enjoy. :)**_

* * *

Aislin sat on the edge of the Shield aircraft, the wind whistling through her hair and the sun shining down on her. She felt anxious inside; she wasn't looking too forward to what was going to happen in exactly twenty-four hours to stop the advancing Jotunheim army. She was going to Asgard for the first time since _the incident._

'The incident' being that she tried to steal the Tesseract from underneath Odin's nose and got away with it, barely slipping away from an angry army and an even angrier All-father. She remembered his words exactly: he had screamed at her while the army pressed forward, calling her a 'flying demon'. She pressed back a bitter smile as she recalled his face, twisted with disbelief.

Surely no one could escape the Tenth Realm, and surely no one could steal the Tesseract from the All-father.

Except the Princess of Death.

Aislin let out a shaky sigh and leaned against the cool metal. She had recently found out that Thanos, God of Death, was her father. Not only that, but she learned she had an equally insane half-brother named Ague. They had nearly killed the Avengers- and nearly killed her too. Ague and Thanos took a special interest in her after they dropped Loki out of the deal.

Loki. The name rang through her head like a song.

Aislin still couldn't believe she was in love with the God of Mischief. She hadn't told anyone else about it, since her team basically hated Loki with all their might. Especially Barton, who was hypnotized by his staff and taken under his control. Aislin didn't know what happened the first time Loki came to Earth, but it wasn't a good one. Considering how Shield locked Loki in a glass containment meant for the Hulk.

She sighed again. Her guts felt like mush at the moment.

"What the hell are you doing out here?" A voice said behind her. Aislin turned her head to see Iron-man glowering at her and floating in the air. She gave him a tight smile.

"I'm just enjoying the view until I'm sentenced." She said bitterly.

Tony planted himself onto the metal and took off the helmet. "Sentenced? Your going to Asgard, not the Tenth realm," he joked. Then seeing her serious face, he pressed his lips together. "What's bothering you?"

Aislin heaved a heavy sigh. "You know Odin's not to fond of me." she turned to him and gave him a grin. "You should've seen his face the moment I took off into the air with the Tesseract."

"I swear, you get more like Loki every day." Tony mumbled, shaking his head. "His mischief is rubbing off on you. Like some disease."

She couldn't help but laugh at his comment. Classic Tony. "He's not a disease. Besides, its not my fault Fury assigned me to guard him."

Tony mumbled something under his breath. Aislin just gently punched him on the shoulder and chuckled fondly- Tony was one of the Avengers that actually accepted her monstrous nature, with the exception of Natasha Romanov. After all; he was the one who was brave enough to try and find her. Tony glanced up at her, his dark eyes shining. "Don't worry about it to much, Aislin. I'm sure Odin can't hold a grudge for that long."

Aislin just shrugged before peering out onto the calm ocean, the anxiety in her stomach growing. She surely hoped so.

* * *

Jane Foster sat in her comfortable jet seat and sighed contently. Gazing out her tiny window, she could see the outline of the camouflaged Shield base even from here. A waitress walked by her and offered her another drink before the jet would land, and Jane gently shook her head 'no' and relined the offer. She wanted to be sober when she finally stepped foot back into Shield's premises- being on an extended vacation for over two years now.

She was a little suspicious on why, but after she found out about Loki's new attack- she didn't ask any questions.

But now she was finally able to go back to her job and do the thing she loved. And see the man she loved.

Jane smiled in fondness. The last time she had seen Thor was when he had transported himself back to Asgard, and she hadn't seen him since. But the way he said farewell to her, she wouldn't forget it. And even as she feverishly worked on her notes on how to re-open the portal back to Asgard, Thor always lingered in the back of her mind.

"Miss. Foster," A stiff voice instructed over the intercom. "I am Jarvis, Tony Stark's personal Artificial Intelligence Programming, and I am here to welcome you to The Shield Base."

Jane gave the AI a tight smile. She remembered Jarvis and Tony from a previous meeting. "Tell Tony I said hello. Is he doing well?"

"Doing better than ever." Jarvis sounded a tad reluctant to answer, if a robot could sound like that. "Most of the Avenger team will be waiting for you when you land. Have you read over the notes that were sent to your old hotel?"

"Yes, Jarvis." she sighed, holding up the papers so he could see them. "Loki is now in the custody of Shield and a girl named Aislin is his guardian."

"Quite correct." the AI said smoothly. "And don't forget, she happens to be the Goddess of Death. Although you have nothing to worry about; Thor has assured me that she is emphatic toward human beings more than she is of her own kind."

"Lovely." Jane shook the images of a skeletal looking girl with bones on her clothes roaming around the Shield Headquarters. "She is the one who made the Tesseract?"

"Yes. Although there has not been a chance to see what the Tesseract is made of, for her brother has stolen it."

Jane smiled again. "That's where I come in, right? Go to Asgard with the rest of them and study the Tesseract's chemical compositions. Sounds simple enough."

The jet made a _bump _noise, and Jane felt the rocky turbulence underneath her as the jet landed. The AI didn't make another sound, he had either gone back to Tony or got shut off. Jane waited patiently until the pilot affirmed to her that it was safe to get off, and when she stood up her legs felt shaky. And not because of the jet-lag either.

The first thing she saw was a huge view, the blue sky yawning above her. The wind tugged at her long brown hair and ruffled her sundress a little. She saw a small group of people muddled by the edge of the staircase, staring up at her anxiously.

She recognized the Black Widow, the archer, she even recognized Captain America. Thor stood behind them all, a small smile on his face. They gave her a brief hello, all of them quietly chatting with her and telling her what was happening. She listened patiently; trying to concentrate on the words and not the heavenly god standing near her. Finally, they said their goodbyes and went to go back, leaving Jane with a beaming Thor. As soon as she felt his team was out of sight she threw her arms around him.

Thor returned the tight embrace, his face muzzling into her shoulder. "I have missed you so, Lady Foster."

"Your back." she mumbled, her voice nearly cracking. She fought back tears as she stared into those familiar eyes. And she thought she'd never see them again..

"Many things have happened." he said, his voice hoarse. "Things that will be explained to you later. But for now, I am just happy that you are safe."

Jane shook her head and gave him a rueful smile. "Shield was the one who sent me to a remote island to work on the Tesseract notes. It was lonely, but I made it."

"I wish for you to not be lonely any longer." Thor whispered softly, pressing his lips into hers. Jane didn't hesitate for a moment, and she pushed her body against the god and savored the kiss for as long as she could. By the time the two of them separated, they were out of breath. Jane leaned her head against his hard chest.

"Are you sure you want to accompany us?" Thor asked, his voice nearly a breath. "I do not want you to be hurt or in danger."

"I don't care." Jane stared up at him. "You were gone from me once. I don't want that again."

Thor gave her another kiss before she walked toward the main doors, her sundress flowing behind her. He smiled as peace overflowed him. Surely his mother would approve of Jane. He certainly did.

As happy as he was that Jane was finally there; he still had the feeling of dread. As though something was watching their every move, laughing simply as it knew of their plans. He knew it couldn't be Loki- even though his brother _had _been acting strangely lately. Especially around Aislin. The both of them had been acting rather dark.

Thor shook his head in confusion and stared up at the blue sky. There was nothing malicious about it, but he still felt uncomfortable.

Then he heard something whisper something in his ear. It was so quiet, nearly a breath, that he could've mistaken it for anything. His throat grew dry as he recognized that raspy voice.

_Beware the one who deceives and lies... _


	2. Unknown Theories

"It's very lovely to meet you all," Jane said politely, shaking the hands of all the agents that had attended her lecture. It had been the longest speech she had ever said on the Tesseract. Her mind was still buzzing on astrophysics and nuclear theories- something that was so puzzling to her. She turned her head to her assistant, Agent John Greene. He simply looked up from his computer and gave her a tight lipped smile before casting his attention to his files.

John Greene was someone that she had met while on the remote island. He had been working for Shield for only a few short months and was also doing work on the Tesseract. Jane thought that he was fine company, although he talked about nothing more but the compositions of the Tesseract and all the new discoveries that would be made. He was going to attend the trip to Asgard with the Avengers, and that was perfectly okay with her.

As she stood on the podium, she read through the rest of her papers and frowned. Every single one of her theories on the Tesseract seemed so wrong- she simply couldn't figure out how a massive thing was created or where it came from. None of the Avengers talked to her about it, not even Thor. In fact; when she asked him about it, he seemed vague in his explanations. She didn't know if he really didn't know or if he was hiding something.

Either way; she was going to find out eventually.

Sighing; she brushed the papers to one side and looked at all the bustling agents instead. They were all dressed the same, wearing the tight spy-suits and high boots. The noise wasn't very loud, in fact, it was a low drone. Jane could make out a few words from some agent conversations, hearing the words 'Cosmic Cube' and 'Hulk' and even 'Loki'.

A swift movement caught her eye. Jane spotted a dark looking girl talking to a couple of agents. For some reason, Jane was fixated on staring at her. The girl brushed her long black hair behind her shoulders, and Jane swore she saw a glint of red and gold flash before it faded to black. And even more shocking- the girl's feet wasn't on the ground. She was hovering in the air like a ghost, simply floating in the air.

Jane let out a muffled squeak. Did no one notice the levitating girl?

The agent stopped talking to her comrades and stared at Jane, as though she knew Jane had been staring at her the entire time. She had the coldest, ice-blue eyes that Jane had ever seen in her life. To her shock, she realized the girl's eyes were the same color as the Tesseract. Fear suddenly engulfed over Jane like a waterfall, and she stumbled backwards in involuntary movement. Something was pulling her back, unnecessary fear overwhelming her.

Before she knew it, the girl was right in front of her.

"H-hello.." Jane stuttered, feeling her hands shake. "I-I'm Jane. Jane Foster."

The girl gazed at her thoughtfully. "I thought I recognized you from the pictures. I'm Aislin."

_The Princess of Death.. _Jane's mind put unhelpfully. She swallowed back her fear, remembering what Jarvis had said earlier. "Thor has told me much about you, Agent Aislin. It's a privilege to work by your side."

Aislin just smiled and shook her head. "No need to call me 'agent'. Just call me Aislin like everyone else."

Before Jane could say anything, Aislin's phone went off. The girl answered it quickly and bid a silent farewell to Jane, floating away while arguing with someone on the other end. Jane breathed a sigh of relief; she wasn't _that _scary. She didn't understand why she felt so scared.

While she was trying to labor her breathing, her assistant John glanced up at her. "Miss. Foster, I think I've found something that you'll really appreciate."

Jane raised her eyebrows and made her way toward his table. Without a word, he slid a scientific notebook into her hands, and she stared on the scribbled pages. She could barely make out the words, the messy cursive and smears of lead making it hard to read. As she read, she felt her heart drop into her stomach- and she stared back up at John with a fixed expression on her face. "You've got to be kidding me."

"I've done my research." John said smugly, pointing to a point on the page. "Its about that girl you just talked to."

"Aislin?" Jane shook her head. "I literally just met her! And she's on the Avengers team- there's no way she could secretly plotting something."

"That's what they all think." John groaned, shutting his notebook. "Until its too late."

Jane rolled her eyes and got up. "Shut up, Mr. Green. We've got a god to meet."

* * *

Loki shivered with anxiety as lukewarm water cascaded over him like a waterfall. He quickly busied himself by running his hands through his hair, trying to steer his mind off of other pressing matters.

There was only a day before he would go back to Asgard again. This time, he would not be going to the prisons or the Bi-frost, but the palace itself. And even though Thor assured him that he wasn't going to let anyone lock him away like the first time, Loki still wasn't impressed. After all- he was the one who angered Thanos in the first place. Not to mention the fact that the only memories he had of Asgard was shadowed by his Thor's greatness.

No- he wasn't looking forward to it at all.

With a sigh, he gingerly leaned against the cold tiles and transformed into his Jotunn form. He always transformed whenever he was stressed. The water around him started to turn a bitter cold, and droplets of ice shattered at his feet. The air around him dropped several degrees; and when he breathed he could see a puff of white air. He smiled to himself as frost started to crawl on the walls, creating strange patterns and intricate spirals.

He regretted never knowing about his true form. It was much fun- more fun than he ever had when he was an Asgardian.

"Mr. Laufeyson?" a voice suddenly rang out, startling him. It belonged to Jarvis, Tony Stark's annoying creation.

"Yes?" he said loudly. He was suddenly aware of his Jotunn form and transformed back, knowing that Jarvis could record anything it desired. He switched off the shower and slung a towel loosely around his waist, feeling a blush creep over his face.

"Your brother will be on his way to get you shortly. Aislin is currently in a meeting and is unable to leave at the moment. She is meeting with the two new agents who will be accompanying you on your trip."

Loki winced. "Who?"

"Jane Foster and her assistant, Agent Green." Jarvis said stiffly. "You have one hour to get situated."

Loki remained silent as he heard the AI switch off. He listened for a few moments more before gingerly walking out of the bathroom, looking around to make sure no one else was in the apartment.

Even though nudity was a common occurrence on Asgard- Loki didn't enjoy partaking in it. Unlike Thor, who would often walk around the palace without clothes on. It was something that Loki liked to remain hidden, and he surely didn't want Tony Stark to see him that way. The teasing would almost be relentless at that point.

Loki plundered around the silent apartment for a while longer, his mind buzzing with nervous thoughts. He sifted through his dresser and pulled out his Asgardian clothing, something he hadn't wore since Thanos's attack. To his surprise, the garments were clean. As he put them on, the fabric was soft and smelled surprisingly lovely. Aislin must have cleaned them when he wasn't looking.

Loki sank onto his bed and stared up at the ceiling, feeling his heart hammering against his chest. He thought of Aislin and how she would react to the giant palace of Asgard. She would look simply gorgeous in an Asgardian dress, which he knew his mother would throw on her the minute she arrived. Loki imagined her long black hair tumbling over her shoulders in mix of red and gold, the lightly colored dress just enhancing her lovely features. Why- she would be the most glorious maiden in all of Asgard- and she would be his! Sigyn would be most jealous.

He quickly sat up in bed, a sudden realization dawning over him.

Sigyn.. His former wife. The one that he failed to love, even though she made her feelings abundantly clear. He neglected her in the worst of ways, sometimes avoiding her for days on end. The ending of their marriage was violent. Loki remembered how Sigyn would follow him around for days, watching to see if he was with any other woman.

How would she react now that Loki was in love, and not with her?


	3. Asgard

**_Hi readers. I hope you like the story so far! I appreciate any constructive (and I mean polite not random bashing) critisim of my story. _****_  
_**

**_Please review. Reviews make me happy. :)_**

* * *

The blue nuclear portal closed with a loud bang; tendrils of the remaining power curling around them like a shadow before disintegrating into the air. The small group of people stumbled to the ground, frazzled and confused by their short journey. They blinked against the bright orange sun of the new world; looking around them in total awe. Rolling green fields with lush grass, buildings made of white stone and a huge palace in the center of it all- gleaming as the dim sun shined down on it.

Asgard was as majestic as they day he left it.

Loki breathed in deeply, keeping his eyes downcast onto the ground. He was humiliated; a mask was clasped over his mouth so he couldn't speak, and his arms were chained together so that he couldn't move. He felt the eyes of the archer on his back, glaring at him and making note of every move he made. He felt immensely uncomfortable around the rest of the Avengers.

"So this is Asgard." Steve murmured, looking around him curiously. He wore his Captain America suit, which Loki thought looked ridiculous now that they were in Asgard. "Doesn't look much different than Earth."

"It looks like a Greek village." Banner said, looking around him in fascination.

"Except there's no technology here." Tony grumped, still looking frazzled from going through the portal. "Hell, are there even working toilets here?"

Thor gave his comrade a smile and tightened his arm around Jane. "Do you mean the working latrines on Misgard? We have a similar device, located only in the palace for the royal family."

"We're so lucky." Tony retorted sarcastically.

"Stark," Natasha warned, glaring at the millionaire. "We're here on a mission, not to check out the bathrooms."

Loki rolled his eyes as the bickering team. Could they not go five minutes without disagreeing about something? He took a quick glance at Aislin, who was holding on to the chain that held his hands. She looked calm on the outside, but Loki knew that there was a dark battle going on underneath. He gently nudged her once, and she looked up at him with her big icy eyes and smiled.

"We must be on our way." Thor sighed, breaking the argument between Natasha and Tony. "The All-Father does not like to wait."

* * *

The guards escorted them into the palace before closing the huge wood doors behind him. Aislin walked behind her team, keeping her face hidden in her black hair. She took each step reluctantly, her spy-boots clicking on the shiny marble floor. Lanterns flickered gently on the walls, illuminating the hallway gloomily. She watched maids and servants scurry by, and she wondered for a fleeting moment of what it would feel like if she had grown up here, instead of the Tenth Realm.

Aislin grit her teeth at the thought and her hands curled tighter around the chains she held. She wasn't good enough to have grown up in such a lavish place. She belonged with the dusty corpses and the demonic entities; cowering in fear as the monsters hunted for her blood. Taking a glance at Loki, she saw his own face was downcast towards the ground as well. He didn't look too excited to be in Asgard either. The mask on his face made him look like a prisoner, and the cuffs of metal on his wrists looked rather tight. Aislin loosened her grips on the chains and stepped closer to him, wanting to comfort him a little.

Thor pushed open two wide doors; and the team entered a huge room. The ceiling towered above them, a single glass chandelier hanging from the middle. There seemed to be a hundred doors on the walls, each of them leading to an unknown room in the palace. A girl with long, braided black hair leaned against the wall, a bored expression on her face. She barely gave them a glance as the team strode by, but Aislin thought she saw a snarl form on the girl's lips.

A man and a woman were sitting on extravagant thrones, quietly talking. Aislin recognized the man as Odin, the All-Father.

With the black patch around his eye, he faintly reminded her of Fury.

"Thor!" the woman spoke kindly, a smile breaking on her face. She got up at once and grabbed him a hug before moving on to Loki. "My dear baby boy, why are you chained up so?"

Loki simply shook his head as Frigga muttered over him.

"Son." Odin spoke in his deep voice. "You have returned."

"Indeed, Father." Thor said. "I have bought the Avengers, just as you requested. Lady Jane and her assistant Agent Green have also come to help acquire the Tesseract."

Odin stood up and looked over the team. His eyes landed on Aislin. "I see. And you have bought...her."

Aislin bit back an angry response. Thor intervened quickly, seeing the approaching dispute. "Father, do not judge her harshly. She has been a great service in helping defeat Thanos."

Odin simply shook his head and turned to his other son. With a flick of his wrist, the chains and mask on Loki disappeared. Loki rubbed his aching wrist while Frigga threw her arms around him. "Oh, Loki! I am so glad you are finally home."

Red-faced, Loki wrapped an arm around her. "I have missed you too, mother." he said dryly.

Tony snorted rudely; earning a punch in the shoulder by Natasha.

"Midgardians; tis true. I have called you from your realm for help." Odin confessed, clearing his throat loudly. "Loki has indeed done wrong, but we cannot focus on that. His realm, Jotunheim, is in terrible danger. Ague has taken control as king, and he is preparing an army that even I cannot stop alone."

"And we're the only ones that even have a chance against the bastard?" Tony asked nonchalantly, ignoring the looks of fury from his teammates.

"Yes." Odin shifted uncomfortably at Tony's blunt question. He gestured to the black-haired woman lying against the wall. "Sigyn, come here at once."

The girl lazily looked up and walked toward them, her long braids flowing behind her. She was wearing nothing but a short dress that cut off above her knees, and a belt that slung itself across her stomach. Two long swords stuck out from it. As she passed Loki, she ran a seductive hand across his chest before stopping in front of the team. A half-bent grin crossed her beautiful face, and her eyes settled angrily on Aislin. "So you called?" she asked mockingly.

"Escort them to their rooms." Odin ordered. "Aislin will go in Loki's room with him, as she is his guardian. The others get whatever bedrooms they desire, and make sure the maids and servants will cater to their every needs. We will talk about battle plans, later."

"Oh, yes All-father." Sigyn said sarcastically. "Come follow me, Avengers. Except for you, Princess. You must stay."

Aislin bit her lip nervously. "Why?"

Sigyn's lovely face contorted into an angry twist, much to Aislin's disbelief. "That is none of my concern,_ Princess_." she spat. She gestured the Avengers to go with her, and she turned on her heel and marched out of the room.

Aislin raised her eyebrows as her team quietly left; what had she done to get under this girl's skin? She couldn't do anything but to stand there, awkwardly. She quietly watched as Frigga muttered over Loki.

"You look so thin!" Frigga scolded him, touching his pale face. "Have they been feeding you?"

"Mother, I'm fine." Loki pushed her away. "Aislin has been good to me."

"I know she has, my dearest." Frigga gave Aislin a warm smile. "She very lovely as well. You are the Princess of Death, are you not?"

Aislin felt her face turn red, but she nodded.

"You will make a ravishing goddess someday, my child." Frigga said, turning to her and touching her hair. "You have the looks of a princess, does she not, Odin?"

"She is a fine killer." the All-Father muttered, turning away.

Aislin pressed her lips together angrily and floated backwards a couple feet, into the shadows. She didn't come all this way to Asgard to be insulted by the same man who threw her out all those years ago. Loki scowled at Odin. "You have humiliated me enough, must you be rude to my friend as well?"

"Your friend?" Odin scoffed. "Loki; do not let a pretty face fool you. You have made enough foolish decisions for one century, don't you think?"

"Do not speak to me that way." Loki's face paled with anger. "She has been the one to show me kindness ever since I was cast from the Bi-frost to the lonely, miserable prisons!"

"Perhaps I would not have sent you away if you had not betrayed the family!" Odin's voice rose louder.

"Perhaps I would not have betrayed the family if you had not lied to me for my entire life!" Loki's voice was a roar; and Aislin could see his anger nearly boiling over. She saw a flash of mischief pass in his eyes; and she knew what was about to happen.

"Loki.." she whispered.

"You are a disgrace to the Asgardian name!" Odin bellowed.

"Stop it, Odin!" Frigga shouted angrily. "Can you not be happy that our son is home!?"

"You are a sorry excuse for a father!" Loki shot back.

"Brother, please.." Thor pleaded.

"You are lucky I have the decency to keep you alive!" Odin said angrily, his eyes flashing with magic.

"I hate you!" Loki yelled, this time his hands flashing a yellow color.

"Loki! Stop!" Aislin leapt towards him and grabbed him up in her arms; the both of them crashing to the ground, but it was too late.

The two columns leading up to the ceiling started to smoke and transform. A loud hissing sound filled the air- the two columns fading into two long, green, spiny bodies that curled around the room. Two immense heads stared down at the royal family, flicking their tongues and hissing loudly. Thor looked at Loki with disbelief. "Serpents!"

_Oh my god. _Aislin thought frantically. She saw one of the monsters getting ready to strike down on Frigga, and she flew forward and pushed the queen out of it's path. "Loki! Stop it! Stop it!" she screamed loudly, holding the trembling queen in her arms. Where the hell was Odin?

Loki sat on the ground, his green eyes clouded with fury. He didn't make a sound, he nearly sat in place. Aislin gritted her teeth. She had to do this herself.

Gently putting Frigga on the ground, she flew upwards and threw a nuclear bolt at one of the monsters. It landed in it's eye, exploding instantly. The head of the monster flew backwards into the wall; where it splattered green blood and sank to the ground. The other serpent hissed loudly and snapped at her, it's fangs gleaming white.

"Down, you hideous beast!" Thor roared, holding up his hammer. In an instant, a huge bolt of lightning crashed through the palace ceiling and onto the serpent, sending an electrifying jolt through it. The smell of burnt flesh lingered through the air as the remaining ashes floated to the ground.

Aislin rushed towards Frigga, who lay on the ground sobbing. "Your Highness? Are you okay?"

"Brother, get off the ground and come to your senses!" Aislin heard Thor yell angrily. She turned to see the blonde god stomping towards her, dragging a dazed Loki behind him. "Aislin! Do you know where my father has gone?"

Aislin shook her head. "No."

Thor grunted angrily, throwing Loki onto the ground beside her. "I cannot believe you would pull such a stunt, Loki!"

"You misunderstood my plans?" Loki cackled, his voice hoarse from yelling.

"Go to your room." Thor snapped. "Aislin will be there momentarily. Do. Not. Leave."

Aislin held the crying Frigga in her arms, her head spinning. "Your Highness, are you hurt?"

"Why can they not get along!?" Frigga cried harder.

_Someone help me. _Aislin pleaded. She saw Loki stumbling out of the room like a drunken soldier and Thor glaring at him. The blonde god finally turned around and saw both women on the charred ground.

"Aislin.." Thor began, almost apologetically.

Aislin just shook her head. "I'll talk to him. Your mother needs you right now, and your father needs to reappear. Wherever he is."

Thor took his mother in his arms. "Loki is in his room." he said hoarsely. "You must talk to him. He cannot be doing these things and losing control, he is already on a thin line with the Asgardian government."

She nodded and got off the ground. She floated out of the ashen room and closed the heavy doors behind her. She breathed a huge sigh, nearly falling to the ground in exasperation. She had only been in Asgard for a couple hours now; and this had happened. How long was she supposed to stay here?

Getting to her feet, she trudged down the hall. She hoped she wouldn't bump into the All-father on her way there, or else he'd surely get a piece of her mind.


	4. A Second Tesseract?

_**Sorry for those who've already read this chapter, someone pointed out some grammatical errors and I wanted to fix them. :l**_

_**Netherless, please enjoy the new(ish) chapter. Please review! **_

* * *

The first thing Aislin did was try to find Loki. She flew down the hallway looking for his room, barely stopping to ask the servants. The moment she knew where he was, there was nothing stopping her.

The second thing she did was nearly break Loki's door down. It was a large wooden door with intricate designs and golden handles. Too bad she was about to ruin it.

"Open. This. Door!" she shouted.

When he didn't answer, Aislin gathered all her strength and smashed her fists into the thick wood. The door splintered under the brutal force; and finally the door creaked open. She didn't hesitate to storm inside, slamming the door so hard behind her that it actually cracked.

"Laufeyson!" Aislin snapped. She scanned around the dark room and saw a sullen, curled lump on the giant bed. He had covered himself with blankets and didn't look as though he was going to move anytime soon.

"Yes?" he asked, his voice muffled.

"Why the hell did you do that?!" she shouted, her eyes glowing a bright blue. She was furious. "Those freaking serpents nearly killed your mother! And Odin is nowhere to be found!"

The lump under the blankets didn't move. "It was unintentional."

Aislin fumed silently, glaring daggers at the hidden god. "You can't keep doing that. You're already on a thin line with the Asgardian government; and they're not going to be happy if they hear about this outburst."

Loki didn't say a word.

Aislin sighed, feeling her anger simmer away. She couldn't really stay mad at him- after all; he had only been defending her when it went out of control. Defeated by the silent god, she took in a deep breath. "I'm sorry I got mad. I just don't want you..." she paused, mid-sentence. "I don't want you to be hurt."

"I am not afraid of pain." was the muffled response.

Aislin shook her head. "They all say that until the pain sets in."

"I am not afraid of pain." Loki said again, but more quiet than before.

Rolling her eyes, she floated over to him and merely pulled back the covers. Loki curled into a tighter ball, covering his face with his arms.

"You can't hide from me, Loki." Aislin said quietly.

"I can try, can I not?" Loki asked miserably, not moving a muscle. "I had not meant to hurt anyone."

"I know." she said softly. "But you just need to be careful."

Loki mumbled something under his breath. He could stand Odin's harsh ridicule, but he was not going to stand by and watch Aislin being judged by the very person that neglected him. He slowly sat up and brushed some stray strands of hair from his face.

"I will do as I please." he said dryly.

Aislin rose an eyebrow. "Don't give me attitude, Laufeyson. I'm still your guardian, whether you like it or not."

"I do not need a guardian, anymore." Loki said angrily. Bitter words spilled out of him like a waterfall, and he was unable to control what he was saying. "Now that I am in Asgard, the soldiers will surely look after me with more attention than before."

"I'm the one who's protecting you from those guards." she protested, her hands balling into fists. "You know what they will do to you if you're alone."

"Well I do not need your protection, foolish Midgardian!" Loki bit fiercely. "Go elsewhere!"

Aislin looked stunned for a moment; and then her eyes flashed an angry blue. Loki slid backwards a little, regretting the words that he had just said. The both of them just stared at each other; a long uncomfortable silence. Loki twitched awkwardly, wanting to say something but unable to say so.

"Fine." her words were cold. She floated off the bed and over to the window.

Loki frantically racked his mind to say something. "Aislin, I-"

She put her hand up to stop him. "I'm just a mere Midgardian, remember? I mean nothing to you Asgardians, I'm a nuisance. Besides; you told me to go. As you please, _Prince._"

The last words she spoke felt like a slap in the face. Loki struggled to come up with something else to say, an apology, something. Anything! But he only watched in numbness as Aislin opened the window and jumped out of it.

As though everything suddenly moved in slow motion, Loki found himself jumping off the bed to lunge at the window, in hopes of catching her. He was too late, his hand barely skimming her boot as she moved out of his reach. Aislin dipped towards the ground before looping back up in the sky, flying away from the palace of Asgard.

* * *

"So this is where you will be residing." the long-haired girl said, rather snootily. She turned towards the team and pointed down the hall with a finger. "You got that?"

They all nodded. Tony, unable to remember who the girl was, called out: "Hey, Miss! We get whatever room we want?"

The girl's face twisted into a scowl, and her hands distinctly wrapped around her sword handle."My name is Sigyn. And yes, whatever room you desire."

"Sweet." Tony gave her a flirtatious smile, unaware of her anger. "So... come here often?"

The rest of the team groaned at Stark's comments. Natasha briefly wondered if she could tape the billionaire's mouth shut for the rest of the trip. Sigyn raised an eyebrow, shock displayed on her pretty features.

"Have fun, mortals." she snarled as she pushed past them, striding down the hall. She accidently pushed against Agent John Greene; who was much further behind the rest of the Avengers.

Natasha rolled her eyes. "Way to go, Stark."

"What?" Tony asked innocently.

Steve shook his head at him. "Nevermind you. The rest of us will be doing as King Odin asked, thank you very much."

"Oh aren't you the goody two-shoes of the bunch?" Tony mumbled, picking up his bags and going into the first room he saw.

The rest of them ignored Stark's comment and spread out to find different rooms. Both Natasha and Barton disappeared into one together, while Banner just went into the furthest one at the end of the hall. Jane was still trying to decide whether to take the one by the window or not when she was pulled aside by John.

"You got a minute?" he whispered to her.

Jane quickly looked back at Thor, who was talking to Steve about Asgardian clothing. "Sure. What do you need?" she asked in a hushed voice.

Ushering out his notebook, John opened to a page and showed it to her. "Just as I thought, Jane. That girl..."

"No." Jane said firmly, shutting the book before he could continue. "Not that right now, John. We just got here."

"But I saw it!" John protested, his green eyes flashing indignantly. "Just a second ago."

"What did you see?" she asked, disbelief in her voice.

"That man in chains, er...Loki, he and the King Odin got into an argument!" John sounded more excited as he spoke. "It got so bad, hell; the two pillars in the place turned into serpents and attacked the Queen! I don't know how it happened, it all seemed like magic-"

"You were spying on them?!" Jane's voice got quieter. "Agent Greene, that's not what we're here for!"

John shoved the notebook towards her again. "But, and you'll never believe this, Aislin flew upwards and shot these blue bolts out of her hands. The same energy from the Tesseract, I believe!"

Jane was silent for a moment, taking in all the information. "She _is _an alien you know. The Princess of Death, as Jarvis told me. Just because the color is the same doesn't mean that it is."

"But what **_if _**it is?" John pressed.

Another pause. "Then I don't know." she admitted.

"Exactly." John put his notebook away, a smirk on his pudgy face. "Jane, she IS the Tesseract. She's made of the freaking energy! And if we can harvest that energy... then you won't ever have to be apart from Thor ever again! The Earth would have a portal to Asgard and the rest of the realms, we would never be attacked! Think of all the possibilities!"

Jane bit her lip nervously. "We can't harvest that energy without.."

"Who cares? She's evil anyway." he scoffed. "She's the damn Princess of Death. She may not show it now, but she'll end up doing something to get back on her brother's side."

"You have no proof of that." Jane insisted.

"I don't need it. I already know." he gave her a knowing smile as he stepped away. "And once we get that proof, we can make a second Tesseract ourselves! Even if it means we have to sacrifice the little brat."

A second Tesseract? Jane pondered the idea.


	5. Dangerous Serpent Bite

_Stupid arrogant big-headed god! _Aislin thought angrily as she flew through the orange sky. Loki's fierce words echoed in the back of her head and wouldn't leave her alone. She was a nothing to him... nothing but a stupid Midgardian, fit to serve his needs. Tears prickled at the back of her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. She was the Princess of Death, dammit, she wasn't going to cry.

A place on her arm burned fiercely. A small flap of her spy-suit had ripped, exposing the two small holes where a serpent had got her. Aislin looked at it with disgust; one of those things had managed to bite her while she was helping Frigga. Her carelessness bought more frustration to her.

Biting back her anger, she crash-landed in a meadow and collapsed to the ground in a heap of exhaustion, her tired body crumbling into the soft grass. The large, purple flowers of Asgard brushed briefly against her skin. Aislin let out a sigh and closed her eyes, feeling a gentle breeze slide against her skin. The painful bite of the serpent slowly faded as she got lost in her thoughts.

She internally scolded herself for believing anything that Loki had said to her. He was the God of Mischief, surely he had earned the name for his mischevious ways. Loki was simply lonely on Earth, cast out of his old world and forced to be a prisoner in the new realm. The only companionship was an alien with a dark past, and that was the thing he settled on. Why else would he have shown even a hint of sympathy for her?

Those thoughts churned around in her mind for a bit, nearly making her cry again. Was she really that terrible, that unloved?

She opened her eyes again and was met by a darkening sky. Large stars blinked out of the darkness liked small beacons of light. The nighttime was about to fall over the Asgardian realm- something that was strangely comforting to her. The darkness was always a shelter for her, letting her briefly escape the rejection of her love and Odin's harsh ridicule.

She suddenly sat up with a gasp. Odin! She had totally forgotten about him!

Flying upwards as fast as she could, she flew towards the palace. She cursed herself as the palace loomed closer, the wind brushing against her hot skin.

How could she have forgotten about the All-Father? The man had disappeared right before those damn serpents came into the picture- and she had no idea if he had returned. She hoped that he hadn't been injured.

She landed on the front steps and pushed open the heavy wooden doors. Her boots clicked on the marble as she ran down the dark halls, her path barely lit by lanterns on the wall. The servants and maids gave her a fleeting look before moving out of her path. None of them spoke to her.

Finally, she saw Thor's shadow whisk from one hallway to another. She ran toward it, shouting. "Thor!"

The blonde god peeked his head around the corner in surprise. "Aislin! Where have you been, my comrade? Tis been hours since you've been seen!"

Panting heavily from her frantic flying, she stammered. "I-in the meadow..w-where is your father?"

"Aislin, are you not feeling well?" Thor raised a concerned eyebrow. "Has a Bilgesnip been chasing you?"

"What? A Bilg- nevermind. Where's your father?" Aislin asked again, pushing her sweaty hair from her face.

"He is in Odinsleep at the moment." Thor said, rather sheepishly. "I do not know where he went during Loki's outrage, but for now he rests in his room. I cannot wake him, so we must wait until his strength has returned."

"Oh.." Aislin trailed off, feeling a sudden dizziness take over her. She put her hand to the wall to steady herself, the cold marble feeling like a sharp blade. Confused, she looked at her hand as though she had been burned. Thor met her confused glance and before she knew it, she was falling to the ground.

Thor caught her in mid-air, his arms strong underneath her. "Aislin! What tis the matter?"

"I..." she tried to speak, only to find that she couldn't. She stammered out a few mumbles, the Thor's face spinning around in a blur.

"What ails you, friend?" Thor sounded panicked as he looked her over. Something caught his attention, a small flap of spy-suit ruffling backwards. With a gulp, he pulled back the cloth to see two pinpricks in the skin, a small trail of blood streaming from it. His eyes widened.

A serpent bite.

* * *

Banner was working on his reports for Stark's new suit, as requested by the billionaire. His table was now littered with crumpled up papers from rejected ideas and pieces of broken pencil lead. There wasn't a trash can for him to throw his things away, so he was stuck with a huge paper and broken lead pile. He sighed in frustration; couldn't the Asgardians be just a _little _more civilized?

Suddenly, his door was kicked down by none other than Thor. So much for civilization. To his surprise, Aislin rested in his arms- her face completely ashen white. He raised his eyebrows. "Do I want to know?"

"There is too much to explain," Thor said breathlessly. "But I need you to help her, genius man! She has been bitten by a serpent and needs aid!"

Ugh. Banner took off his glasses and rubbed his temples. "How the hell did she manage to accomplish this?"

"There is no time, smart Midgardian!" Thor roared angrily. "She is getting sicker as we speak!"

"Okay, okay." Banner said breathlessly, holding up his hands. "Set her on the bed and I'll see what I can do. But I warn you- I'm not really specialized with animals. Or people."

"Tis no matter." Thor retorted. He walked over to the bed and tenderly set Aislin down. He brushed the hair from her face and then backed up, pointing to the bed. "Make her better."

Banner shook his head at Thor's demand. He took Aislin's limp wrist in his hand and tried to feel for a pulse, wincing at her clammy skin. He wasn't used to helping people medically- the most experience that he had was the occasional scraped knee and bee sting, NOT snake venom. He sighed in relief as he felt a weak pulse from her.

"What will you do? May I be of assistance?" Thor asked meekly, sounding a bit like a small child. Banner rubbed his aching temples again.

"Um.. what snake bit her?" he grunted.

"A serpent that Loki conjured up to attack our father." Thor admitted, looking down at the ground. "Aislin and I vanquished it, and Loki has resided in his room for the night."

A sigh from Aislin startled them both. Banner gently put her arm back onto the bed and pulled up the blanket. Some color had returned to her face and she was no longer sweaty. He breathed a sigh of relief; perhaps she would be fine without medical help. Thor noticed as well, and a small smile broke out on his face.

"I do not understand Midgardian medicine, but whatever you did, I thank you." the god said grandly, bowing down to Banner.

The scientist felt his face turn red. He hadn't done anything. "It was nothing. I guess."

Thor turned to the hall, one hand on the door. "I am sorry to depart, comrade, but I must have a talk with Loki."

"Er..you have fun with that." Banner said awkwardly as the Thor left. He cast one last glance at Aislin, who seemed to be sleeping peacefully in his bed. He sighed. He wouldn't be sleeping tonight.

Turning back to his paperwork, he looked at his scribbled designs with disdain. He really didn't want to do this for Stark right now, mostly because he was tired. Hell, he could feel the Other Guy stirring with discomfort as well. Giving up, he put down his pencil and got out of his chair to stretch. As he was getting up, he saw a shadow flicker briefly at his doorway. He raised his eyebrow. What the hell was up with Asgardians?

"Hello?" he called out.

He wasn't expecting anyone to actually show themselves, so he was shocked to see a sheepish head peek out from behind the doorway. It was a girl, her brown hair braided onto the top of her head. She stared at Banner, looking absolutely terrified.

"I am sorry, sir." she squeaked out. "I was only curious.."

"That's okay." Banner said, feeling a little twitchy. He sat back down in his chair. "I'm not all that scary. I'm Bruce."

The girl stepped out from behind the doorway and into the light. She was wearing Asgardian clothing, the same clothing that the maids wore. She shyly put her hands behind her back. "You and the sleeping girl are one of the Avengers, are you not?"

Banner nodded, unsure what to say. He briefly glanced at Aislin, who was still out like a light.

"You and your team are very much admired. We have been anticipating it for many moons now." the girl smiled at him, stepping closer. She even put her hands on his knees.

He felt his face blush red, and he quickly pushed her hands off and sat upwards. "Thank you, I think."

"I am Misao." the girl said quietly, putting her hands back behind her back. "I am a servant in the Asgardian palace."

Banner's heart hammered in his chest, and he felt the Other Guy stirring dangerously below the surface. "Nice to meet you, Misao." he said lamely.

Misao studied him for a moment before looking back at the hall. "I must go now," she said in a soft voice. She gave him a soft glance, her brown eyes shining. "May I see you again, Sir Bruce?"

The question nearly knocked Banner out of his chair. Was she...was she hitting on him? He half nodded and stuttered. "S-sure...if you'd like- I mean, I would love, no, I mean I'd like-

"You are an interesting Midgardian," Misao said softly. "I shall see thee tomorrow night?"

"O-okay." he stammered, running his hands through his disshevled hair.

In seconds, Misao was gone. There wasn't even the sound of feet out in the hall. He wondered what the hell just happened.

* * *

_**Sorry it's been a while since I updated. I've had a really bad week, so I haven't really got the chance to write. I really hope you like what's going on so far. I don't know if I got Banner's character right, feel free to tell me if I was wrong. **_

_**Please review. It makes my day. :)**_


	6. Surprise Attack

**_For those of you who have asked: the name of the servant girl Misao comes from one of Pewdiepie's games (Brofist to the BroArmy! Fuck those barrels.) and Agent John Greene actually comes from the author John Greene who wrote, "The Fault in our Stars" and has a website called "NerdFighters". Thumbs up to the person who pointed it out to me, you rock. _**

**_I just like John Greene's name. And if any of you have played the game Misao or have seen someone playing it, you'll understand why I chose that particular name for the servant. _**

**_Now *deep breath* enjoy! _**

* * *

In the early morning of Asgard, The Avenger team were gathered in the sun-lit halls of the palace, standing in complete silence. The only Avenger absent was Aislin; Thor looked incredibly uneasy whilst the others stared down at the floor. Both Jane and Agent Greene were still in their rooms, going over their researches.

Occasionally someone would say something quietly, but no one cracked a smile. Everyone now knew what had happened after they had left the royal family and Aislin in the throne room; and they knew that Aislin had been bitten by one of the serpents. Even though Banner assured them that she had been okay when he last checked on her, none of them looked convinced.

"What if she gets really sick?" Tony muttered, looking up at his team gravely. "Do you people even have medicines?"

"We have a healing room." Thor said quietly. "But I fear it will be no use."

Banner shook his head. "As I said before, Stark, she looked fine when I left this morning."

"Looks can be deceiving." Natasha scowled, glaring at at the scientist. He uncomfortably moved back two inches and looked down at the floor.

"There's no use arguing." Steve sighed. "Ague is still out there, planning his attack."

"It's Loki's fault." Tony grumbled, leaning against the stone wall. "It's his fault that we're in this mess, it's his fault that Aislin's sick, and it's his fault that we have to fight a deranged alien who's descendant is fucking Thanos!"

"Watch your mouth," Steve warned, much to Tony's irritation. The billionaire scowled angrily at the super-soldier before turning around and walking down the hall. The other Avengers watched after him in stony silence.

"He is correct, nonetheless." Thor gloomily addressed the rest of his team. "It is because of Loki that Ague and Thanos got ahold of the Tesseract; he is still out there, and he is gaining power every moment."

Barton shrugged. "Why not just go to Jotunheim ourselves and crush him?"

Thor winced, remembering of a time where he just might have agreed to do such a thing. He shook his head. "That is not a wise choice, Arrow Man. With Laufey gone, the Frost Giants will kill anyone who cross their borders."

"So what, we sit around and wait for Ague to attack like last time?" Natasha asked dryly.

"Even All-Seeing Heimdall cannot see what Ague is planning," Thor murmured. "Without that knowledge, we must train for that moment and hope for the best. With or without Loki's help."

"We don't need him." Steve said firmly. "We didn't need him then, we don't now."

"We need all the help we can get." Banner argued. "Look- I don't like Loki as much as the next person, but he's pretty powerful. Besides, I'm pretty sure Aislin would argue against that."

"She's seen what he's done. She shouldn't feel like she should defend him." Natasha muttered stiffly.

"But she is his guardian. Surely she feels the need to find the good in him."

They argued for a moment more before dwindling back into a tense silence. Natasha turned away from the group in anger and retreated to her room without a sound, the door closing silently behind her. Thor pressed his lips together in frustration. He cared about his brother, deeply so, but he knew that his homeland came first. He watched as Banner gave him a curt nod and went back to check on Aislin, and Steve and Barton both walked down the hall after Tony. Thor was left standing alone in the halls.

With a sigh, he turned and walked in the other direction, to Loki's chambers. He pushed open the large wooden doors and entered a darker hallway, only a couple of lanterns lighting the way. Thor shook his head as he continued onwards. What had happened to Loki to make him so angry? He couldn't help but wonder if it had been his fault that his brother felt this way; if only he had known how Loki was feeling. Always a talented liar his brother was.

"Loki!" Thor pushed open his brother's doors. He walked into the dark room, letting the doors swing shut behind him. A soft stream of light poured through the small window, which was covered by a thin sheet. "Brother?"

There was no answer. Thor tightened his jaw and kept moving through the room. He pulled down the sheet covering the window and threw it onto the floor. As light moved through the room, he saw the usually organized room in a state of chaos. There were broken pieces of wood on the floor, glass shards, pieces of things that Thor didn't recognize. His gaze shifted to the bed in the center, a large ball of blankets curled around something.

"Loki," Thor said, almost pleadingly. He gently pulled back the blankets and saw Loki lying there, his arms around his face.

"I am not your brother." Loki's voice was hoarse. He pushed his face further into his arms. "So leave me alone. Throw me into the Bifrost again, if you'd like."

"Loki, this is madness." Thor said quietly, pulling gently on Loki's arm. "What has made you act this way? Please brother, I just want to help."

"You cannot help me."

Thor sat on the bed and stared sadly at him. Loki didn't say anything else or move another muscle. The two of them sat there in silence. Thor's mind wandered to back when him and Loki were much younger, how they loved to go on adventures together. Of course, Loki would let Thor do all the climbing and such, but they had fun nonetheless. Sometimes they would gather around Odin's feet and listen to his battle stories, the ones that he and Loki would hang on to every word, even if they had heard the stories before.

He gazed over at Loki once more, hoping to see the old him again. "I will not leave until you talk to me, Loki."

There was a sullen silence, but to his relief, Loki finally pulled his arms away and sat up. His black hair was tousled and unkempt, and even though he had been lying down, there were bags under his eyes. His large emerald eyes were no longer bright or mischevious, they were now dull and gloomy.

"I am nothing but a nuisance," Loki said weakly, his voice still hoarse. "To you, to Father, to everyone in this damned realm."

"You are not a nuisance, brother. Aislin thinks the world of you, can you not see that?" Thor said, clutching Loki's arm. "No matter what Father has said or what you have done, I will forgive you."

Loki remained silent again, and Thor wasn't certain if he had even been listening. But Loki just looked at him again, a sad smile etched on his face. "Tis my fault that this has happened. That you cannot deny."

"That is why you will fight with us! I know you loathe your actions, brother, although you do not admit it." Thor stood up and tugged on Loki's sleeve again, just as he did when they were younger and Thor was trying to persuade Loki into something. "Father will eventually see his wrong."

Loki finally gave in and stood up next to him, his clothes wrinkled and messy. He managed to give Thor a weak, mischievousness smile. "Do not think I have gone soft."

"No more hiding in bed like a woman?" Thor asked, earning an amused smack.

While the two brothers shared a laugh, the door to Loki's chambers suddenly swung open, and Sigyn strode into the room with a sultry look on her face. Casting out her sword, she kneeled once in front of the both of them. Her eyes flickered angrily over to Loki before addressing them both. "Princes."

"What ails you Sigyn?" Thor asked, raising an eyebrow at her sudden appearance.

"Heimdall has spotted something breaking into the border of Asgard." Sigyn said, getting to her feet and putting her sword back at her side. "You must gather your team, in case if we must fight. Since he has fallen into Odinsleep, the All-father must be protected at all costs."

"Did Heimdall tell you what he saw?" Thor pressed, growing more anxious. The thought of Aislin still in bed, asleep from the toxin, poked at the back of his mind.

"He did not say." she crossed her arms.

Thor turned to Loki, panic starting to rise in the back of his throat. "Aislin cannot fight." he admitted. Loki raised an eyebrow.

"Why can't she?" asked Sigyn angrily, her tone sharp. "Does the Princess not want her fingernails broken?"

"She had been bitten by a serpent." Thor muttered, feeling Sigyn's angry eyes on his back. He watched as Loki's expression crumbled into realization, and with a bitter swallow, he continued on. "The man of science has stated that she is fine for now, but she is still resting and unable to rise."

"She will be fine. The battle will awaken her." Sigyn said bitterly. Thor turned to her, shaking his head.

"She cannot fight if she is wounded." he said reasonably. "We cannot put a life at risk."

Loki quietly brushed by the both of them, his green cape rustling behind him. The wooden doors closed heavily after him, leaving behind a tense silence. Sigyn watched his every step with envy and anger splayed across her normally beautiful face; her hands tightened into fists. "Get her up, if possible. We need all the help we can get." she said harshly, turning to leave.

Thor reached out and grabbed her slender wrist. "You have been acting strangely, Sigyn. Are you alright?"

"Never better." she hissed, wrenching her arm away. She walked towards the chamber doors, muttering angrily under her breath about idiotic princes.

Pushing down the urge to demand what was bothering her, he started to follow after her. Then he stopped in mid-step. The air was strangely...cold. In fact, he could see his breath as he exhaled. Just as puzzled, Sigyn stopped and they looked at each other. The chamber doors started to turn a frosty white, spirals forming on the handles. Thor let out a yell as him and Sigyn dived to the side, just as the wood splintered and cracked.

Two Frost Giants stumbled in the room, their arms covered in ice. Their tiny red eyes landed on Thor and Sigyn, and with a roar, the both of them charged. Sigyn scrambled out of Thor's grasp and stabbed her dagger through the first Giant's chest. It fell to the ground, blue blood spilling from the wound. Thor grabbed a shard of glass from the floor and swung upward, knocking the second Giant in the face. It lay there, unconscious, as Sigyn dove her foot into the chest cavity.

Sigyn and Thor stood in the center of Loki's chambers, breathing heavily.

"Frost Giants." she panted, putting her sword back into her belt. She gave Thor a warning look. "There are probably more."

"We must move." Thor instructed, the both of them hurrying out of the room. He quickly told a servant to sound the alarm and alert the soldiers for battle.

Moments later, a loud horn sounded out throughout the palace.

* * *

The sound of a foggy alarm rung through Aislin's mind. Darkness swam around her teasingly, making her feel dizzy and disoriented. She tried to open her eyes, but she was too tired to move a muscle. The sounds around her grew louder, she could've sworn she heard something roaring. Roused and trying to open her eyes, the pit of her stomach dropped as she faintly recognized it. It sounded like...Banner. The Hulk. Why did he transform?

"B-..." Aislin croaked out, unable to talk. She fleetingly wondered why her limbs felt like jelly, and why she couldn't see. When had she gone to bed? All she remembered was that she was talking to Thor, the fight with Loki, and the serpent bites. As she thought about it more, she realized that she must have passed out. The toxin was more powerful than she thought.

Finally, her eyes fluttered open and she saw a blurry white ceiling.

There was another roar, accompanied by a loud crash that blew out Aislin's hearing. She slowly turned her head and saw a bleary green monster, fighting with...a blue human? A huge green fist smashed into the blue creature's chest and sent it flying.

The green monster roared again, and Aislin felt as though she was trapped in a nightmare. _The Hulk.._She thought frantically, trying desperately to move her arms.

_Move. Move!_

Something warm wrapped around her waist and she let out a weak squeal. Banner lifted her up to his now transformed face; her limp body hanging from his clenched fist like a rag-doll. Through her panic, she was finally able to see clearly. Her arms and legs started to move with panic. "B-ban.." she stammered again, her voice cracking.

"Girl..." he breathed, showering her with warm breath. Aislin let out a small whimper and tried to summon her powers, feeling only a pitiful surge of energy.

To her terror, the Hulk roared in her face and hurled her into the wall. Aislin let out a scream as she plunged through rocks and stone. Shards of rocks scraped at her arms, ripping at her spy-suit. Her body tumbled to the ground, skidding a couple feet. She groggily looked upwards to see the huge sized hole in the wall, and the blue creatures that were advancing towards her. She scrambled backwards, her legs wobbling.

"It's the Princess.." one of the blue monsters growled. It's arm froze over in block of ice.

Internally cursing herself for her weakened body, Aislin grabbed a curtain hanging from the ceiling and hoisted herself up. "Who are you?" she said, her voice cracking.

"Soldier of Jotunheim." the monster growled. The creatures behind it grunted in agreement as it slowly advanced towards her. "You are the Princess of Death, daughter of Thanos. Sister of the King."

"The King?" Aislin tried to keep talking as she tried to conjure up her powers. Her hands sparked blue before fading.

"Ague Thanoson." was the growl. Aislin tightened her lips together at the mention of her brother. The blue creature gave her a half-bent smile. "Now, Princess, tis time to die."

It lunged forward. Aislin quickly dropped from the curtain and grabbed the monster's legs, gasping as freezing cold iced through her body. She dove her nails into the cold flesh and crunched her fist into the head, her hand aching from the sudden cold.

Getting to her feet, she clumsily ran toward the doors and wrenched them open. The other monsters weren't too far behind her, and as soon as she slammed the door shut she could see frost gathering on the wood. She turned and ran down the corridor, her muscles burning angrily. Quickly turning a corner, she hurriedly hid herself in a room and barricaded the door using a chair.

Panting, she slowly backed up from the door. When she didn't see any frost gathering, she quickly stumbled over to the window. She swung it open and peered out of it; and to her horror, she saw an army of Asgardian soldiers marching from the palace. Frost Giants were everywhere, sprawled on the field. She heard a familiar rumbling and saw Tony flying toward her, in his Iron-man suit.

"Tony!" she screamed, waving her arms frantically. As if on cue, she heard the door splintering behind her and loud growls.

Tony flew towards her and stopped at the window, the mask flipped upwards. A puzzled look crossed Tony's face. "What the hell happened to you? I thought you were in bed!"

"Banner.." Aislin gasped, feeling cold air against her back. "Threw me through a wall."

"Why does he always throw things through walls?" Tony pondered, paying no attention to the creaking doorway behind her. "I swear, I still have a Loki-sized hole in my mansion somewhere."

"Tony.." the door crashed down to the floor. Aislin turned to see three large soldiers marching through the door, their arms covered in ice. Aislin scrambled onto the windowsill, preparing to jump from it.

"Holy shit, Frost Giants. We can't have those things near you." Tony said calmly, pulling down his mask and shooting the three monsters with his laser. They disintegrated into ash and settled onto the marble floor. Then he studied her with a soft expression on his face. "Aislin, get down from the windowsill. You'll fall."

"I can fly." she muttered, seeing Barton's arrows fly by her. She couldn't just sit there and do nothing, she had to get out there and fight.

"You've been poisoned. I'm surprised you can even walk, kiddo." Tony said gently, holding her against him. "We've got it taken care of."

Aislin didn't answer for a moment; she was mesmerized by the Hulk bounding across the court, stomping Frost Giants into the ground. She saw Loki running behind him, holding his spear and stabbing every creature that came his way. Frost Giants chased after him, shooting ice picks. She watched in horror as Loki stopped running and painfully clutched his arm.

He was injured.

"NO!" Aislin screamed, nearly bursting out Tony's eardrum. She squirmed in Tony's grasp. "Loki!"

"Aislin, what the hell?!" Tony yelled as she continued to struggle. "Loki can take care of himself!"

"They're going to hurt him! Those monsters!" she yelled, her hands scraping at the Iron-man suit. Her foot kicked off the windowsill, throwing them both backwards into the air.

"You can't fight! The cold will kill you!" Tony found it harder to hold her. He willed Jarvis to start lowering the suit before she fell out of his arms.

Aislin kept her focus on the battlefield, seeing Loki holding his injured arm and his staff. Frost Giants surrounded him, and even though she couldn't see their faces, she was sure they were grinning with glee.

"Get away from him!" Aislin yelled to no one, feeling her fury boil over. _**She** _was his guardian, **_she _**was supposed to protect him, **_SHE_ **was supposed to be the one out there; fighting. One of the Frost Giants held up it's ice sword, as though it was going to bring it down on Loki's neck.

Without hesitation, Aislin slammed her fist into Tony's head, hearing him grunt with pain. He loosened his grip on her and she plummeted towards the ground.

She heard Tony's distant screaming above her, but she paid no attention to it. She focused all her energy on the amount of Frost Giants surrounding Loki, and then, her body lifted upwards into the air and she was flying towards the enemies at top speed.

Her fist connected with the first monster she came into contact with. It's face looked surprised for a moment as it fell to the ground, ice-cold blood gushing onto her hand. She turned and shot a nuclear bolt at the one behind her, making it explode instantly. The rest of the monsters gave puzzled looks as they tentatively advanced, their swords slightly trembling.

Aislin stood in front of Loki, who was on the ground and holding his injured arm. Her eyes, now glowing blue, squinted in anger. She gestured to all the monsters with her fists.

"Get away from him!" she screamed fiercely, her hands glowing. She shot more of the monsters, causing the ground to explode around them. "GET AWAY!"

One of the Frost Giants stepped towards her, it's arm now dissolved to a regular appendage and it's hands up in surrender. It eyed her cautiously. "You have nerves of steel."

Aislin glared at it as angrily as she could, but she she felt strength draining from her body. "Go back to Jotunheim." she growled, her voice trembling. "Tell Ague that I sent you back."

"You will have started a war if you do." it said tensely. "Let us kill Laufeyson, just as King Ague has asked."

"Over my dead body." she snarled, keeping her fists poised and glowing.

The Frost Giants looked her over once, their tiny red eyes glowing with hatred for the injured god behind her. Aislin could practically hear her heart thumping in her chest.

"Very well." it growled, stepping backwards and signaling to the sky. It gave her one last fleeting glance before a blue haze swallowed up every one of the giants. A giant portal opened in the orange sky and in an instant, all the giants were gone. The portal closed with a huge _**BANG!**_, sending small ice fragments to fall from the sky. The ice turned to water, and it rained down on the stunned realm.

Around her, everyone exploded into cheers and applause, people threw down their weapons and hugged one another for the victory. People's faces were wet with rain, and they washed off the blood and danced in the puddles. Aislin watched everyone with a grim smile on her face, her hair dripping with water and sticking to her face.

She turned to Loki and fell to the ground, the throbbing back in her arm and her legs suddenly weak.

"Loki." she panted, extending a shaky hand towards him. "Are you okay?"

Loki stared at her as though he couldn't believe she was there. He reached out and touched her face with his hand. "You are alive." he breathed.

"I don't die easy." Aislin couldn't help but chuckle, water running down her face and mixing with her tears.

Loki just laughed as well, an adorable smile breaking out on his tired face. He reached out to grab her and pulled her close to him, whispering heart-felt apologies in her ear. Aislin closed her eyes and tucked her head under his chin, her exhaustion getting the better of her. She fell asleep moments after that, her head falling against Loki's chest.

"Brother!" Loki heard Thor's voice echoing from the battlefield. He stopped in front of them, panting. "What happened to the both of you. Tis she alive?"

"She is." Loki said, a smile breaking on his face. "I do not know how she did it, but she fought them off."

Thor wiped the running water from his face. "She is stubborn. Much like you, brother, in many respects." Loki made a face at Thor, causing him to chuckle. "Netherless, I am happy you both are safe. Let us get you to the healing room."

With the help of some soldiers and Thor, Loki got to his feet and limped to the palace with Aislin still in his hands. He passed the Avenger team, which stared at him in shock as he passed by.

With all the chaos that had went on, a solitary figure stood alone in the middle of the battlefield, shrouded by the falling rain and fog. Sigyn angrily curled her lip in disgust and tightened her bloody hand around the hilt of her sword. What was so good about that spoilt Princess? Nothing. Sigyn bitterly took out a dagger and looked at the blade, seeing Aislin's reflection on it.

She smiled. It would be soon.

* * *

_**Another awkward author's note: I hoped you liked the super long chapter! I don't know if you guys like these long chapters, so please let me know!**_

**_Please review. :)_**


	7. All in a dream

**_Okay guys, don't yell at me. I'm a procrastinator. I had to rewrite this chapter at least ten times to get it the way I wanted to. :/ *sigh* Enjoy. :)_**

* * *

_Agent John Greene lay down on the soft bed, his hands folded neatly underneath his head as he into the darkness. thinking intently on his research. He was so lost in thought that he lost track of time. The darkness melded with him so that he was blind almost, only the small window next to the bed giving him a small beam of light. He noticed a small ball of light dancing in the corner of the room. _

_He sat up and rubbed his eyes, thinking that he was seeing something. But the light only grew bigger, growing brighter until it was nothing but a floating orb in the middle of the room. _

_"Jane..." John started to mutter, the rest of her name getting stuck in his throat. _

_A huge blast of light exploded at once. John immediately covered his eyes; still seeing the sharp light going through his eyelids. As it faded and he slowly opened his eyes, he could see a light blue fog lazily floating around him. He looked around him in confusion. Then an unfamiliar voice growled his name, breaking through the silence. _

_"John Greene of Misgard." _

_John jumped and looked in the direction of the sound. To his horror, there was a dark figure standing in the corner of his room. As the blue fog lifted, he saw a man leering at him, his long purple hair cascading down his shoulders. His icy lavender eyes were cold while the rest of his face were bent in a terrifying smile. There was a glittering gold helmet covered most of his head, a skull crushed into the metal. Black armor covered his chest and stomach, his muscular arms bare and his wrists and hands sheathed in a thick cloth. John bit back a cry as he scrambled backwards, trembling. _

_The man spoke again. "John Greene, of Misgard."_

_"That's me." John answered timidly._

_"I have come with glorious purpose, human." the strange man said darkly._

_"Who are you?" John asked the question before he could stop himself. _

_"I am Ague Thanoson, heir of the Death Realm and future king of Jotunheim." a smirk crossed over the man's face as he saw John's mouth drop open in shock. "I am sure you have heard of me, being a part of the Avengers Initiative."_

_In one swift movement, he knocked the pillow aside and pointed a pistol at the man, his finger hovering over the trigger. His face was contorted in rage. "You bastard! You've got some nerve coming here!"_

_Ague put up his hands innocently. "I have done nothing."_

_"Bullshit. You're here to try to kill everyone in the palace." John thrust the pistol forward, his arm trembling. "Well it won't work!" _

_Ague merely laughed and walked towards him, seemingly unafraid of the pistol that he was holding. "I am not here to kill you, human. Your death would gain me naught." _

_"Then why are you here?" John still didn't put the gun down. He felt safer with it. "And why shouldn't I call for the Avengers right now and have them splatter your sorry ass all over the wall?" _

_"I transported myself into your mind. They cannot do a thing whist you dream." there was another wicked smile from the god, and John felt sick to his stomach. So he was dreaming. This was a nightmare. One that he couldn't escape from. Ague seemed to notice his realization, for he pushed the pistol aside and touched his wrist, gently at first, and then an iron grip. John yelled out in pain. _

_"They cannot hurt me." Ague hissed. "They can never touch me." _

_"That's not.. what the files read.." John said, tears springing to his eyes as his wrist was bent backwards. It was hurting like a bitch. "...In.. In New York! Your sister.."_

_"Aislin?" Thankfully, Ague let go and the god retreated backwards a bit, into the darkness. "She is such a deceitful creature. I wanted to make her my queen, but she refused my offer. I underestimated her power to manipulate, her power to destroy." Ague's icy eyes studied John. "Laufeyson is rubbing off on her." _

_John clutched his aching wrist and tried to push the disturbing thoughts of Ague trying to marry Aislin from his mind. He kept his head bent towards the ground so he wasn't able to see Ague, but he could feel those icy lavender eyes piercing through his skull. There was a long silence; John's heart hammered in his chest painfully and his blood was pulsing through his veins, making his wrist ache further. _

_After more moments of torturous silence, Ague finally spoke again. The words came out in an angry hiss. _

_"You do not trust my sister, do you, John Greene?" _

_He flinched. "Of course I do. She's a member of the Avengers." _

_Ague laughed cruelly. "Do not lie to me. I have been watching you ever since you set foot on this blasted realm. Every time you look at her, you look at her with hate. With distrust. And why is that, John Greene?" _

_John didn't answer, he stayed standing with his head bent towards the ground and his hand cradling his wrist. _

_"You figured out the power she holds," Ague said, his voice a deep whisper. "The Tesseract is hers, made purely from the power that resides within her. And you want it, do you not? You lust for it." _

_"..It's unnatural." John said after a moment's silence. "Even a god doesn't hold that much power without magic." _

_"Magic is underrated, you pesky human." Ague snapped. "But even so, you are correct. She is an unnatural being. Of course, that would happen if one was made a prisoner of the Tenth Realm." _

_John jerked his head upwards in surprise. "She was a prisoner? The files said that she.." _

_"That she was born there and could not escape. Aye." Ague finished, a hint of raw anger underneath his cool facade. "But they do not know the truth. Thanos had put her there to keep her contained. She is an evil being, more evil than I could ever be."_

_"That's not possible." John's face had gone pale. _

_"You do not believe me? Fine." Ague squinted his icy lavender eyes in fury and slowly backed up, his hands balled at his sides. "But do not turn to me crying in fear when you realize who the true monster is. The moment none of you are looking, she will strike. Just as she did me and my father.." _

_"Wait!" John said, desperation in his voice. Something in his gut was nagging him to let Ague go and to never speak of it again, but... he just had to know. Was he right? Aislin was evil? _

_"What can we do to stop her, if it happens?" he asked breathlessly. _

_There was a dark chuckle. "You cannot."_

_John felt as though the world around him was about to crash. His theories had been right, he realized. All those times where Jane had scoffed at his ideas, he had been on the right track all along. So those terrible feelings he got whenever he got near the girl wasn't imagined, they were **real. **He jerked his head upwards and stepped toward the god. _

_"I'm not going to stand by and watch her hurt Jane and everyone else." he said firmly. "Even if she's too stubborn to see it." _

_Ague's face temporarily lit up with satisfaction before being drawn back into the shadows. "You do not have to stand by and watch the madness. There is a way to make your Jane see." _

_"What is it?" John asked. _

_"This." From out of nowhere, Ague held out a small black bottle. John took it in his hand and gasped as the cold painfully shot through his hand. The damn thing was ice cold. It was tiny, the liquid inside was black as night and the top of the cap was shaped to look like a human skull. John swallowed back his fear and looked up towards Ague again.  
_

_"What is this?" _

_The god smiled. "One drop of this, and she will see the way." he said softly. "Then you may do what is right for the universe." _

_John was so busy staring down at the bottle, he didn't even see the blue fog start to swirl around him. When he did, Ague was beginning to fade. Those lavender eyes were staring heavily on him, as though they held a secret that no one else could ever know. John felt his heart thump wildly again. _

_"Wait!" he yelled, lunging forward and stumbling into mist. "There's so much to ask you! What am I supposed to do, kill her!?" _

_Ague was gone, and the blue fog was starting to get thicker and thicker, swirling around him like a tornado. _

John suddenly awoke, the blankets around him damp with sweat and his shirt soaked with rainwater. He glanced over at the open window next to him, and with a grimace, he sat up and shut the damn things with a slam. The dream was all too vivid in his mind, it was making his hands shake with anxiety.

"Goddammit!" John cursed, putting his head in his hands. For a split second, he almost wished that the dream had been real. For a guy who was trying to take over the universe, Ague had made some valid points. Points that he had already proven in his theories.

With a sigh, he tossed the covers aside and got up to stretch his aching body, even though it was still pitch black out. He proceeded to walk to the door when something caught his eye.

Something was gleaming in the corner of his room, like treasure in a cave. He stumbled over to it, his breath hitching.

His heart stopped as he realized what it was. He reached for it, his fingers curling around the icy metal just as it did just moments ago.

The black bottle seemed to smile up at him, the poison inside eating through the metal. On the very side, there was a small, handwritten note. By none other than Ague himself.

_**Twas not a dream, John Greene. Rid the universe of the parasitic worm, and you will have everything you desire. **_

_**Do not fail me. **_

* * *

Aislin sat on the bed, quietly staring out the window. Everything was finally quiet in the Asgardian palace, and she was enjoying the silence. She took a quick peek at her wounded arm, the spy-suit fabric totally ripped away and leaving the snake bites exposed. She breathed a sigh of relief as she saw nothing but two tiny prin-pricks.

Her entire body was throbbing all over, and she felt exhausted. The battle from earlier had taken all of her energy- leaving her barely able to stand for the rest of the day. Banner had explained to her that snake venom weakened the muscles and caused lethargy and that she should be getting some rest, but she had enough of sleeping. Being thrown through a window by a Hulk while still half-asleep wasn't the most fun things to do. She had decided against sleeping, just for the night.

A small rumble of thunder broke her from her thoughts. She gazed out the window again, this time the dark battlefield briefly visible from the lightning. For a second, she could see the corpses of the fallen soldiers before it all went black again. A shudder shot through her as she slowly closed the curtains, her hands fisted around the fabric.

Ague was responsible for the attack earlier in the day. There was no doubt in her mind about it. But why today? Why the Frost Giants instead of the Dead, like he had in New York? She didn't know.

Aislin turned from the window and faced the large bed that lay in the middle of the room. Loki was asleep in a sea of tousled blankets, his body splayed awkwardly and his cape wrapped around his leg. Much to her amusement, he was snoring softly and hadn't moved a muscle since he laid down. She gently floated down next to him and pushed a strand of loose hair from his face. He had been exhausted, she remembered. They all were.

Hell, she didn't remember a time where they had gotten their asses kicked more. Everyone had wounds on them, more or less. Tony had a huge bruise from when she hit him, and she left a large dent in his helmet. With the exception of Banner, they all had cuts and bruises on them.

The door to the room was suddenly pushed open and an unfamiliar girl peeked her head through. "Greetings." The girl spotted Loki in the bed and she raised her eyebrows. "Am I intruding?"

"Huh..? Oh, no." Aislin quickly pushed her tangled hair out of her face.

The girl's face lit up, and she quietly slipped into the room. Then she knelt down onto the ground and bowed her head. Aislin was taken aback by the sudden movement. "What are you doing?"

"You deserve proper respect, Princess." the girl said. "I bow down to you."

"You.. you don't need to." Aislin said hurriedly, getting off the bed and touching the girl's shoulder. "Seriously, don't do that."

The girl's brown eyes widened. "Why ever not?"

"I don't like being called a princess." Aislin admitted, feeling her face flash red. "Or a warrior. Or anything."

"You are strange," the girl laughed. "But that will do. What may I call you then?"

"Aislin is fine." she said, her face still burning.

"Okay." the girl studied her for a moment before quietly muttering her own name. "My name is Misao."

_Misao. _The name seemed familiar, but for some reason, Aislin couldn't place where she had heard it. "Is there something you need, Misao?"

Misao's face blanched. "I was walking by my master's chambers when I heard her talking to herself. It was most unbecoming. I fear you are in terrible danger, Aislin."

Aislin felt her heart drop into her stomach. "What do you mean?"

"My master is one of the Warrior Three. You might know her as Sigyn." Misao continued grimly.

"Sigyn?" the name sent chills up her spine. "What does she want?"

"I do not know. But beware Princess." Misao said darkly, forgetting to call her by her name again. "Sigyn is not one to sit around and do nothing. Do not make her angry."

"I haven't done anything to make her angry!" Aislin said angrily, feeling her powers stir uncomfortably. "I've known her for three days. There's no reason for her to hate me."

Misao shrugged and pointed to Loki, who was still asleep. "It may have something to do with Loki. They were wed before."

"He.. he was married?" Aislin nearly choked on air. He never mentioned it before.

"Aye. But he was a neglectful husband. Sigyn left him for a man in the Tribe Realm, before the Frost Giants hunted them to extinction." Misao studied her expression with soft brown eyes. "She wants Loki back simply because he is powerful. It would indeed make her more popular amongst the warriors across the realms."

Aislin grit her teeth, jealously pawing angrily at her gut. As much as she felt it was selfish, she wanted to march down to Sigyn right now and scream that Loki was **_hers. _**Not anyone else's. She was almost surprised by how angry she felt, she had never felt his way towards anyone, certainly not a man.

But Loki was different.

Misao saw the anger splayed across her face, and she put a reassuring hand on her arm. "Do not worry, Aislin. Everyone in the palace can see that he is infatuated with you, even if he tries to hide it. Why, Lady Frigga is planning your wedding!"

This time, Aislin actually choked on breathing. She took a moment before croaking out, "Wedding...?"

Misao got to her feet and gave her another bow. "Tis late, Aislin. You should really be getting some sleep."

"Sleep?" Aislin looked over at the bed and spotted Loki, and her face flushed red again.

Misao giggled as she left, her laughter echoing around the room.

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_**Hopefully I'll update faster. Please review. :)**_


	8. Awakening

Thor strode down the hall hurriedly. He moved swiftly, the corridor now softly lit up with the morning light. He took a quick glance out the large windows and saw a beautiful orange sun starting to rise above Asgard. It was the same sun that he had seen a million times whilst growing up, and to see the same sun again gave him a glimmer of nostalgia.

There was a bit of hope, on this morning. Despite the dreary and exhausting battle the night before, not all was lost. The All-Father had finally awoken from his slumber. After three days of drifting into Odinsleep, he had enough energy to open his eyes. Frigga had called Thor into the room to see his weakened father.

Thor quickened his pace as he remembered the first breathy words that Odin had spoken to him in days. It was a quiet, _"Hello, my son."_; as though it was as casual as any morning. Despite his weak state, he still managed to sit up in bed and clasp Frigga's hand. He reached out for Thor as though he was too far to reach, and when he met his father's hand with his, there was a strong grip.

Frigga explained to him that Odin had one request that he had to see to immediately. It was for the safety of Asgard, she said gently.

"_The girl._" Odin had said heavily, glancing at Thor with sleep-deprived eyes. "_I must see the girl at once. Aislin." _

As the son of the All-Father, Thor couldn't deny his request. He promised Odin that he would bring Aislin to them, whatever the reason.

But he was worried. The last time Aislin and Odin were put in a room together, Loki conjured up a serpent that had nearly killed them all. There was no denying the fact that Aislin and the All-Father simply did not get along. Aislin was much too headstrong, unfortunately, and she was not going to bend to Asgardian rules so easily. In fact, she was the one that had enough bravery to break into Asgard to steal back the Tesseract.

He wasn't going to underestimate her. But despite what anyone could say, she had saved his life more than once. And she had saved his brother from self-destruction. She had been his friend through the entire situation. He owed her his trust.

Thor quickly strode into the dining hall. He spied his comrades sitting at the large mess table, silently prodding at the food the servants had given them. None of them seemed too happy, and all of them sported a battle wound of some kind. In another time, Thor would have been proudly showing off his battle wounds.

Now- it seemed like a lowly act of pride and vanity.

"Friends," Thor said, stopping at the end of the table. Slowly, but surely, all their heads moved towards him. Tired eyes met his.

"Thor." Natasha addressed him quietly. The rest of them nodded in greetings.

Steve leaned back in his chair and ran a hand through his blonde hair. "Where were you this morning? We've been waiting here."

"At least we got food." Tony muttered. Steve shot a 'not here, Stark' glare at him.

"I have come with great news. Odin has finally awakened!" Thor said, managing to smile. He saw Loki perk up at the news and continued. "He is weak, but all will be well."

"Glad that he woke up _after _the attack." Aislin grumbled.

"He cannot control what happens, Aislin." Loki said gently. "Odinsleep is often uncontrollable."

"Still, great timing for an All-Father." Tony chuckled. This time, both Loki and Steve glared at him. Tony quieted instantly.

Loki shifted his attention from the annoying billionaire and looked back at Thor, his emerald eyes burning with relief. "Does he remember what happened?"

"Very much so." Thor said quietly. Loki winced at the news.

"I was afraid of that." he said softly.

Thor put his hammer down on the table, his face forlorn. "Brother... he has asked for one request."

"And that is?" Loki's tone grew dangerously now. Everyone in the room visibly tensed.

"He wishes to speak to Aislin, alone." he spoke slowly, to make sure that Loki heard every word. "He has requested that he see Aislin immediately."

A dead silence settled over the room. No one spoke a word; everyone seemed to be frozen. Their faces settled in an expression of shock. Aislin's ice-blue eyes were wide with surprise, and her mouth was slightly dropped open as though she couldn't comprehend what he had said.

"Is.. is he stupid?" Tony choked out.

"STARK!" Banner said angrily, shoving his head in his heads. Tony stared at the scientist, his usually smug expression wiped away.

"You saw what happened the last time the two of them talked. Now you 're going to leave them in a room. Alone!" Tony got up and slammed his hand against the tabletop. "Does this not sound fishy to you, blondy?"

Banner shook his head. "Tony, the reason Ague attacked us was because Odin was in that phase. It'll make things easier if she goes in there."

"I refuse this request." Loki said icily. He grabbed Aislin's arm and held her to him. "I refuse to let him talk to her alone."

"We cannot refuse the All-Father's request, Loki." Thor said wearily.

"We'll we're gonna." Tony growled, ignoring Banner's statement. "She's not going to risk being shot off in some dimensional space tunnel because Odin gets his panties in a knot."

"Stark.." Natasha said warningly. She glared at Barton as he stifled a chuckle at the word _panties. _

"Loki.." Aislin pried herself from his grip and stared at Thor. "Has he said what he wants?"

"He has not." he said quietly.

Aislin pressed her lips together stubbornly. "Since we can't refuse a request from the All-Father.. I guess I should go and talk to him."

The room hushed back down again, and everyone's eyes were on her. She ignored looking at Loki, who was staring at her like a terrified child. Instead, she glanced at Thor. He gazed back at her, the expression on his face showing his relief. "Are you sure of this?"

"Your insane!" Tony interrupted, glaring at her with such ferocity that she nearly flinched.

"I can handle myself, Tony. Besides, I'm protecting his kingdom. There's no reason why he would hurt me." she shrugged and floated up from her chair.

The entire team was silent again, this time an uncomfortable silence that made the hairs on the back of Thor's neck bristle. He gave Loki one last sad look, trying not to feel guilt crashing in on him as he saw Loki's lip tighten with anger. Part of him wanted to run back to Odin and refuse, but the wiser part of him pushed away the guilt.

This had to be done, whatever the outcome.

"Let's go, Thor." he heard Aislin say. With that, he grabbed his hammer and headed out the room.

* * *

John heard the door slam. He took his ear off the wall and leaned against the back of the chair in satisfaction.

Of course, he should've known that he wouldn't have to lift a finger. The Avengers couldn't stay in the same room for more than five minutes without arguing with one another about something stupid. One of them, the loudmouthed one with the suit, was always spouting something obnoxious. It usually resulted in the other team-members screaming at him, usually the red-haired woman.

He was too lazy to remember their names. It wasn't like they really mattered.

John smiled to himself as he scribbled more things into his notebook. Aislin was being heroic, as usual. She even coldly wrenched herself out of Loki's hands, not caring about the look of crushing defeat that splayed across the god's face. And for what? To talk to the great All-Father of the universe about protecting the stupid city they were in?

Something nagged at him, however. As much as he laughed at the Avengers' stupidity and inability to get along with one another, they were dangerous when together. Especially the guy who turned into the Hulk. That was something to be especially cautious of. John turned around in his seat and looked at the petite woman still asleep in bed. It was Jane, and she had spent most of the night working on how to get the portals to re-open without the Tesseract, she had told him. She had asked him to look over her work for errors while she took a nap.

He chuckled to himself as he glanced over the scribbled pages. There was no point in even reading over this- it was all wrong. It would always be wrong. The Tesseract was the only thing powerful enough.

Reaching into his pocket, he took out the small vial that Ague had given to him in a dream. He glanced at the small bottle, the skull cap glaring at him as though it was urging him on. Even though he had taken the note off in his room and stuffed it into his pillow, the words still echoed around in his mind.

_I won't fail you, Ague. I gave you my word. _John thought stubbornly. _I swear to God I'll kill that low bitch, even if it takes my life. _

He slowly unscrewed the cap, his curiosity getting the better of him. Peering into the bottle, he saw nothing but a black, gooey looking liquid. The smell of rotten flesh hit his nose, almost knocking him backwards. Jeez. The stuff was pungent. But if it worked like Ague said it would.. then he would have the control of anyone he pleased.

Anyone..

He glanced back at Jane, who was snoring softly. She looked extremely comfortable. Right next to her on the dresser, was a full bottle of water that she had bought from Earth.

He smiled again.

* * *

**_Oh Odin, you rascal. What do you have planned for dear Aislin? _**

**_Please review guys! Thanks for the support :)_**


	9. The Lie

_**I'm going to try and update as much as possible. So hopefully every week or so. We'll see. **_

_**Tell me how often you guys would like updates on the story! I don't want to go too fast. :) **_

_**Enjoy :)**_

* * *

Aislin followed behind Thor silently. The halls of the palace were silent as always, the sunlight touching every metallic surface. She floated slowly past the large windows that led the view to Asgard. She had to admit, the view was breathtaking. She stopped for a moment and just stared out the window, mesmerized.

The city was gleaming. The orange sky looked gentle against the while marble buildings. There was even a lush forest just in the peak of the horizon. It looked wonderful. She longed to fly though the trees and nestle in the brush, just as she did on Earth. The animals would help her survive, and she could live alone. There would be no destruction, or death. She wouldn't have to think about Ague ever again. Maybe Loki could come and live with her..

She fixed her focus on the small sliver of forest, the only hopeful beacon she had seen in a while. Something caught her eye. There was a flashing in the trees. No... not flashing. Darting. Moving. It moved so fast that she thought she was seeing things, but then it happened again.

_There's someone there.. _Aislin pressed her fingertips to the glass. She wondered who it was, and what it was. Maybe it was a person, someone who wasn't an Asgardian. Or perhaps it was a lost animal.

The sounds of footsteps stopped, and she was suddenly aware that Thor was staring at her. He was gazing at her with a curious expression on his face.

"The view is glorious, is it not?" he asked softly.

"It is." Aislin looked back at the horizon. As much as she tried to concentrate on the small forest in the distance, the movement had disappeared. With a sigh, she turned back to Thor. "And this is your kingdom?"

"Someday, perhaps." Thor said wistfully. Then his expression hardened and he started to walk down the hall again. "But in the meantime, we must have you talk to Odin. He is still weakened from the Odinsleep."

"Odinsleep." Aislin repeated, following closely behind him. "How often does that happen?"

"It varies on the usage of his power. If he uses too much, he falls into a deep slumber to restore his energy" Thor explained gently, giving her a small smile. "When I was younger, Loki and I often found Odinsleep amusing, for we could do whatever we pleased."

She laughed. Thinking of Loki and Thor as small children mischievously running around the palace was really amusing. "Do you guys still find the Odinsleep amusing nowadays?"

Thor slowly shook his head. "No. Everytime he goes into Odinsleep, I fear that he will not wake up."

Aislin pressed her lips together. Odin could die? The very thought hadn't crossed her mind in a very long time- the first time being when she had broken into the palace to steal back her Tesseract all those centuries ago. But since then, she hadn't really pondered the idea. The fact that the All-Father had a vulnerable spot rattled her to the core.

As much as she hated Odin, he was still the All-Father. He was supposed to be invincible.

She wondered if Ague knew about that vulnerability. She hoped not.

She followed Thor silently after that, each minute ticking slower than the next. They passed by a couple of doors before turning down into a darker hall, one that was barely lit up by small torches. Two huge wooden doors were at the very end of the corridor.

Thor reached out for the handles, but stopped, as if he were hesitating. Aislin raised her eyebrows.

"Is something wrong?" she asked.

Thor stared at the door. "I.. I fear that you and Odin will not see eye to eye. You both do not get along."

Aislin pressed her lips together. He turned to her slowly, his face gaunt.

"My father means the best." he pleaded. "He simply does not understand how you are alive. The Tenth Realm has exceeded all magic, even his."

"You're right. Only monsters can escape that place alive." she said bitterly.

Thor shook his head. "You are not a monster. You have done good things for Misgard. And I know you want to do good things for Asgard. For Loki."

"Loki is someone that I've been sworn to protect." Aislin snapped.

"No," he said softly. "He means much more to you than that."

Aislin stiffened. "Thor.. I swear.."

"He thinks the best of you. Loki has changed his ways because of you." Thor put a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Despite your past with Odin, trying to make amends with him will do good."

Defeated, she slowly nodded. "I guess so."

With that being said, Thor pushed open the doors to the All-Father's room. She entered in quietly, trying to keep the panic down. There was a large bed in the middle of the room, with a very fragile looking Odin sitting in it. He didn't look that different, but he was dressed in a thin garment and looked tired. She could feel his eyes staring at her like laser beams.

Aislin felt her face flush anxiously, and watched as Thor walked over to his mother sitting in the chair and gave her a warm hug. Frigga smiled at her son and pressed a kiss to his forehead.

"My son." she said, giving him a smile.

"Mother." Thor said softly, before turning to Odin. "Father. How are you faring?"

"Better." Odin kept his gaze on Aislin. "I see you have bought her without a fight."

"She agreed to come on her own. There was no struggle." Thor said, gesturing towards her. "Isn't that right?"

Aislin sucked in a breath. "Yes." she said, after a moment.

Odin nodded. "I see. Come here, Aislin Thana."

_Don't call my by my father's name. _Aislin grit her teeth, but floated over to the edge of the bed like he instructed. She placed a gentle hand on the footboard.

"In the time of my Odinsleep, I have seen the destruction that your brother has caused on my realm." Odin said gravely. Aislin flinched at the mention of Ague, but kept silent. "My warriors fought bravely against the Frost Giants- and they shall be avenged in their own time. But you, Lady Thana.."

She flinched at the name again.

".. Despite the wounds you had, you escaped out the window to save my son." Odin studied her with a soft expression, something that she had never seen before. "You did not let your weakness stop you. You sent the Frost Giants back to their realm without a flinch. All you had to do was mention your brother."

Aislin heaved in a breath. "Yes."

Odin lay back against a pillow. "You have proven yourself, Aislin."

"Proven myself?" she stared at him.

"Ague wants nothing more than to make Loki pay for the things he has done. That first step is taking over Jotunheim, which he has done. Now.. all that is left is to take the only thing that he cherishes more than all the nine realms." Odin explained softly. "You."

Aislin blinked in surprise. "No. That's not possible. Ague already knows that I'm too powerful, too.. I've beat him once! I'll do it again!"

"You cannot." Odin put up a hand. "He is no longer a naive boy. He is patient, meticulous. He will find a way to get to you and kill you, even if you are guarded by the fiercest warriors I have."

"I don't need your protection!" she snapped. "I can take care of myself!"

"You are too much of a prize to him." Odin said sharply. "The longer I allow you to fight as one of the Avengers, the more danger you are in. That is why I am placing you under the protection of royalty, where you may not use your powers so that Ague can track you."

"What?" she said dangerously, her eyes flashing blue.

"Aislin please..." Thor said pleadingly. "Listen."

"You will be a normal princess, as though you are not part of the Avengers Initiative at all." Odin huffed, obviously frustrated. "Frigga will supply you with the necessary clothing. If there is a battle that takes place, you will not fight. Instead, we will shelter you within the palace."

Aislin clenched her fists. "Are you serious!? I'm supposed to pretend to be a pretty princess while my team is out there getting killed!?"

"It is for your own good." Odin said calmly. "Ague cannot track you if you aren't using your powers. You will be in disguise."

Aislin stayed silent, her fists quietly unclenching as she realized his words. She looked up at him, her icy blue eyes burning with anger.

"What is going to happen when Ague arrives hell bent on destruction?" she asked bitterly.

"Then is when you will fight, but only when we can be sure he is near." Odin said smoothly. "But otherwise, you will remain docile, understood? You are allowed to go anyplace in Asgard, provided you are in your disguise. That is my final order, Aislin."

Aislin glared at him, hatred burning in her eyes. "Fine." she spat venomously, and she turned angrily and flew out the room, slamming the door behind her. Everyone in the room flinched.

Frigga looked at her husband and slowly got up. Thor sighed deeply. "That went better than I expected."

"She is angry," Frigga said quietly. "And I do not blame her, for look at everything she has been through since she's arrived."

Thor looked at the door sadly. "It will kill her to see our comrades in battle. If any of them were to be injured.."

"I will protect them." Odin murmured. "As much to my ability."

"Father?" Thor asked quietly. "Was Loki the one who asked for this request? While you were still in Odinsleep?"

Odin was quiet for a moment. "Aye." he said at last. "In the last phases of my sleep, he came to my room and asked to protect her, at all costs. That the safety of Asgard depends on it."

"He is a talented liar," Thor muttered, remembering how Loki insisted to refuse the request.

"At least it is now for the good of someone other than himself." Frigga said quietly. "He is infatuated with her."

Thor gripped the handle of his hammer, suddenly feeling anxious. His mother was right, Loki was in love with her. But the only question was, how long was it going to take before Aislin realized the truth?

And how devastating would the affects be?

* * *

_**Review :)**_


	10. Panic Attack

_What am I supposed to do!? _

Aislin angrily flew down the hall and bolted straight into her room, slamming the door behind her. She slumped against the cool door and closed her eyes.

_Do I just stand by and watch my friends die fighting for their lives? _Her hands squeezed into fists. _They expect me to cower with the rest of them! __How can I pretend to act like the princess they want when I can see my team being murdered in front of me?! My friends... _

Her head was pounding fiercely. She slowly opened her eyes and saw the room lazily spinning around her. She sighed deeply and tried to calm herself.

How was she going to go through with this? She wasn't sure if she could pull off the All-Father's request, even if it was for her own good.

She bit her lip angrily. Her heart started to pound in her chest like a bird trying to escape a cage. Her breath hitched.

How dare he?

He had treated her like garbage; he had thrown her out of Asgard all those centuries ago because she was from the unknown realm. The guards had chased her out of the palace with spears and arrows as if she was a monster lurking in the shadows. She had been nothing but a child at the time- covered in dusty brown rags from the Tenth Realm that were covered in blood and gore. Back then, she had bowed at Odin's feet begging for mercy. She had pleaded with him, _begged _him to give her a home and a family. She was on her hands and knees, tears slipping from her eyes as the guards surrounded her menacingly, their weapons pointed at her neck.

But no, they just ripped the Tesseract from her hands. They took the only thing that helped her escape from that damned hell and locked it up away from her, then cast her out on the streets like a beggar. Odin didn't pay attention to the crying child left alone in the rain, helpless and alone. He had his own children to deal with. He didn't need one more.

After all, who would want the creepy girl from the Tenth Realm anyhow?

And now.. centuries after escaping from Asgard alive, she's back as the renowned princess of Thanos. And Odin seemed to think that she was merely a puppet in his plans. Nothing had changed.

Aislin blinked once, twice. Her breathing slowed down, and she was surprised to realize that her face was wet with tears. The room stopped spinning, and her heart stopped fluttering so hard. She carefully wiped her face and got to her feet. Walking over to the window, her hands grasped at the handle. With a small tug upwards, the window shifted and the glass slid open. Sweet air poured onto her face, wind breathing through her hair.

The sun. The sky. The clouds slowly rolling in. The city was unchanging, breathtaking as always. The small glimmer of forest was still there.

But it seemed that no matter where she went, the Tenth Realm followed closely behind.

* * *

Loki sat at the empty dining table, his hands folded neatly as he stared off into space.

It had been hours since breakfast, he realized, and the Avengers had long since left. Their mundane minds were unable to stay concentrated on one thing at a time. They had dispersed an hour after Thor and Aislin had left the room, the tense silence growing too strong for them to handle.

Loki shifted uncomfortably. He wondered how Aislin took Odin's request.

Actually, it was _his_ request to Odin as he was in his last phases of Odinsleep. He asked for one last favor, even if he's not a son of Asgard or not. The look on his mother's face was a cross between pride and sadness as she realized what he was doing.

He sighed. No worries. If Odin kept his word, Aislin would be safely concealed within Asgardian royalty. The Frost Giants and Undead Monsters wouldn't think to search for her right in front of them. All they would see was a princess, not a tough warrior from the Tenth Realm.

Hes smiled to himself. Ague wouldn't think of it either. She would be completely unharmed.

The doors behind him started to creak open, and Loki turned to see a disgruntled Thor coming in. Loki pushed himself away from the table and looked at him expectantly. "Well?"

"Why did you ask that of Odin?" Thor said gravely, unanswering his question. "I had forgotten what a talented liar you are, brother."

Loki raised an eyebrow. "You found out? I believed that I had it concealed well."

"Odin could not look her in the eye. He was hesitant to ask her of this." he shook his head and stared at Loki with a sad look on his face. "Loki, this will backfire. You know Aislin will not coincide with the royal rules."

"She will be safe. That is all that matters." Loki said smoothly.

Thor sighed. "Brother.. it is a time bomb. Her powers are highly unstable when it comes to her emotions-"

"That is no matter. I will keep her under control!" Loki stood up suddenly, panic obviously splayed across his face.

"But what if you cannot?" Thor looked at him pleadingly, the same look that Loki hated. It was the look that had gotten him in so many troubling situations. Loki grit his teeth and glanced down at the floor.

"Maybe you do not think so, but I do." he said, his voice soft with fury. "You know as well as I do that Ague will not rest until he has her in his grip. He will kill her the first chance he gets."

"She is fully capable of protecting herself, brother! Do you not realize she will be unhappy?" Thor grabbed Loki's shoulder's and shook him hard. "Brother, can you not see?"

Loki sucked in a breath. "She will be killed." his voice rose in panic. "I cannot lose her! I cannot!"

Thor started to say something, but stopped. Tears had welled up in Loki's emerald eyes, and he was struggling to keep his composure. He looked nothing like the villainous man that had once tried to take over Asgard. He looked more like a frightened child about to have his blanket taken away from him. As much as Thor wanted to tell him to go to Aislin and tell her the truth, he couldn't.

"Brother, I hope you realize what you are doing." Thor warned.

"I cannot lose her." Loki repeated, his face frozen with fear. "If Ague were to..."

After a moment, Thor let go of Loki and let him stumble backwards. The look on the God of Mischief's face was pained. He stared at Thor for a moment, just opening and closing his mouth as though he didn't know what to say.

Thor sighed. "Regardless, she accepted the deal. She will keep her powers under wraps and stay under Asgardian royalty."

"Good." Loki said breathlessly, staring down at the floor. "I should go and comfort her. I am sure she is unhappy."

He brushed by Thor, his shoulder barely bumping his. The door closed with a quiet thump.

Thor sat in a chair, his shoulders relaxing for the first time in hours. He rubbed his hand over this face. _Oh Loki... Brother.. What have you done? _

There was a heavy feeling in the bottom of his stomach, and for the first time in many years, it wasn't because of too much mead. He wished it was, though. Something that felt achingly similar to dread was rising- and it alarmed him.

He was Thor, God of Thunder. He wasn't supposed to feel this fear. He was supposed to be brave- he was supposed to be the first one on the battlefield, wielding his hammer and charging the first Frost Giant that came his way.

Not sitting at a table like a woman, fretting.

The door behind him slowly creaks open, startling him. He jumps and quickly turns around, half-expecting to see Stark or Loki coming through the door. But no, it's Jane instead, looking cautious.

And.. different, for some reason. There was something that he couldn't quite place.

"Jane." Thor said, surprised. "What are you doing?"

"Did I startle you?" she asked with a smile on her face.

Thor felt his face flush. "Er.. No."

She laughed and ran into him, wrapping her arms tightly around his. Thor rested his head on hers, feeling her warmth against him. She lifted her head upwards, and before he knew it, their faces were pressed together in a tight kiss. He felt her hands run down his sides, down near the small of his back. He groaned and kissed her harder, pressing her body closer to his.

Then they separated, their faces inches away from each other.

"Jane.." he began, his eyes looking into hers. "Wh-"

"Sh.." she said softly, her voice a naughty whisper. "Don't speak." Her hand snaked upwards and pressed a finger to his lips.

Her lips slammed against his again, this time heavier. Her hands slid backwards and slid down to his butt, cupping her hands around him. He groaned again and pushed her against the table, his hands pulling at her shirt. He was pulsing against her, growing harder with each passing second.

She moaned against him, her hands pulling hard at his buttocks. "T-Thor.."

He lifted his head from hers. "Yes, Jane?"

"Not here." she gave him a sensual kiss on his neck, and he closed his eyes as he felt her hands pulling across his hips and getting dangerously close.

"I know where." he said, giving her a hard kiss on the lips again.

Jane pushed herself against him. "Then show me."

* * *

**_I actually didn't expect the chapter to turn out this way. ^^ but it did. So tell me in the reviews whether you guys want more smutty stuff like this, and who you want it with ;) _**


	11. Changes

Thor blearily opened his eyes. His chamber ceiling slowly came into view, becoming sharper as he woke up.

He rubbed his face with a groan and tried to focus. He was lying in his bed, a sheet draped across his body like a dress. As he tried to get up and stretch his sore muscles, he realized that he was naked. Then he spied his armor lying on the floor, crumpled in a heap next to unfamiliar clothing.

A small soft hand slid over his chest and tugged slightly. He turned to see Jane, her hair mussed and a smile on her face.

"Hey you." she said softly. "Did you sleep well?"

Thor blinked as a wave of memories hit him. A fuzzy image of him and Jane kissing passionately on the bed, their clothing flying off and their heated skin pressing together in explosions of primal pleasure.

So _that's _what happened.

He gave her a tired smile in return. "Indeed. What about you?"

"Like a baby." she rested her head against his chest.

He wrapped an arm around her comfortably. "I do not understand why you Midgardians have such strange and feminine sayings. Why would one compare their sleep to an infant?"

Jane laughed. "We don't consider it feminine."

"Strange." he said again.

"To you maybe. But it's pretty normal to say stuff like that on Earth."

Thor just grinned and rested his head against the pillow, feeling rather content with himself. Just for a moment, he realized, things actually felt _normal. _There wasn't any worry of battle, or death, or the fear of Jotun soldiers roaming the palace. The All-Father was well and awake, and Aislin had agreed to keep herself under wraps until the war was over. Even Loki seemed to be satisfied and calm for once, instead of glaring at the Avenger team with every passing second.

Life, at the moment, was good.

Jane let out a sigh and lifted up her head. She kissed him gently on the lips. "You worried about Loki?"

"I am always worried about Loki." he chuckled. "But he has seemed to accept my team, and they, perhaps grudgingly, have accepted him."

"It's only because of Aislin that he doesn't lash out." Jane spit out the girl's name like venom, her voice suddenly low. "I think he's scared of her. And who wouldn't be?"

Thor raised an eyebrow. "Jane, there is much about Aislin that we do not understand, but Loki can look past what we cannot."

There was silence for a moment. Jane stared at him, and for a split second Thor thought he saw something flash in her eyes. He looked closer, only to have his heart suddenly jolt with shock and his mind reeling. He had thought that there was something different about Jane the night before, when she had arrived in the room after Loki had left.

He hadn't been wrong.

Her eyes had changed from their normal puddle of chocolate brown to a striking shade of icy blue. The same blue that Aislin had.

The same blue that the Tesseract was.

"Jane.." Thor's voice came out as a warning. "Are you feeling alright?"

"Why do you keep defending her?" she asked venomously. She got off the bed and pulled on her clothing, throwing up her hair in a messy bun. "The last time I checked, it's her father and brother that's causing all this trouble. Her entire existence is nothing but a nuisance."

He stared at her with his mouth agape, unable to find any words. This wasn't the Jane he knew. She wasn't normally mean-spirited against anyone, certainly towards someone who was an Avenger. But her she was, spatting out Aislin's name as though she was Thanos himself. As he fumbled for something to say, the blue in her eyes faded back to their normal color.

"You must be kind to her. She has been through a lot." he said slowly.

Jane pouted and crossed her arms over her chest. "If she had done her job right the first time, you wouldn't have to be fighting for your life. No one would."

He bit his lip. _Gods. _"I cannot blame her for anything. We were on the brink of defeat when she had saved us, Lady Jane. And she was severely injured in the process. She saved our lives."

"But she created the Tesseract; why not tell anyone how she made it and give people what they want?" she scowled.

"Perhaps she doesn't wish for another weapon to be created." he said softly.

Jane watched in silence as he got out of bed himself and pulled on his armor. She stuck out her lip in a pout and stared at the floor, venom suddenly gone and a melancholy look plastered on her face.

"It'd be a lot easier if she'd just tell." she mumbled.

Thor stopped fiddling with his clothing and walked over to her, pulling her into an embrace. She accepted, dropping her head down on his chest.

"I know this is a difficult time for you, Lady Jane. Asgardian customs are wildly different from those of Misgard. The people are different, and the talk of the different realms can be overwhelming for someone who was raised differently." he said gently, rubbing her back. "You are very strong for putting up with all of this, and waiting for my return."

"I just don't want to be separated from you again." she said softly, whimpering in his chest.

"I know. Do not fear, this will be over soon enough and we shall be together." He kissed the top of her head, pushing away the thought of possible sabotage. That would be impossible. No one knew of Jane's arrival except the people of the palace. They were safe.

Jane relaxed in his arms. "I hope so."

* * *

"Hold stil or you will be pricked, Princess!" the seamstress said exasperatingly. "I cannot keep repairing the fabric!"

"Sorry." Aislin muttered, trying to keep her body as stiff as possible. The seamstress made an irritated snort and moved behind her, still pulling at the fabric near her ass.

This was humiliating. She wished to be anywhere else but here.

That morning the servant Misao had woken her up, informing to Aislin that Frigga had set up a lovely appointment with the best tailor in Asgard. The time had come for the princess to look like one, Misao had proudly informed her, and that she would be receiving a hand-made dress made custom for her. It would be the attire that the people of Asgard would accept, and she would look like any other royal member.

And now here they are: Aislin standing uncomfortably on a little stool with a bitchy seamstress muttering over her body while Frigga sat across the room, watching them both with an amused smile on her face.

"Are you almost done?" Aislin asked again.

"Almost Princess Aislin." the seamstress said, her light voice sounding more forced than ever. She turned to the queen and gestured, although Aislin couldn't see what she was doing. She assumed that it was probably the middle finger.

Frigga got up from her seat and looked over her. "Patience, dear Aislin, is a virtue."

"I don't see why I have to get a dress." Aislin muttered irritably. "Can't I just wear my jeans? Or my suit?"

"Your Earthen clothing will give you away at once." Frigga said smoothly. "Besides, I am certain Loki will appreciate his princess more if she is dressed in the proper way."

_Loki's Princess? _Aislin felt her face flush. "I'm not-"

"Don't lie to me, child. I may be a bit old, but I can still recognize love when I see it." the queen chuckled. "Loki hasn't tried to hide his feelings for you in the first place."

Aislin opened her mouth to protest when another pin pricked her from behind. "Ow!"

"Oh, you are breathtaking!" Frigga clasped her hands together. "Now wipe the scowl from your face and smile. That is most unbecoming of a princess."

Aislin sighed wearily and clenched her fists. She swore she heard the seamstress giggling from the prick in the ass she got. Trying to stand as still as possible, she mumbled, "I wasn't scowling. That's just my... face."

There was another amused snort from behind her. She was about to kick the seamstress in the face, best tailor of Asgard or not.

Frigga looked over her, pushing back her hair and gently pulling out the front of the dress. Then she smiled kindly at her, her eyes shining.

"There! You are finished, my dear!"

Aislin shakily stepped off the tiny stool, her foot immediately stepping on the hem. She stumbled forward and caught herself before falling on the floor like a complete idiot, and then regained her steps and just stood stiffly in place.

"Such a graceful one." the seamstress muttered, her voice audible as she packed up her supplies and hastily leaving the room.

"Pay her no mind, child." Frigga said warmly.

Aislin stiffly took a couple steps forward. "I think I have more to worry about than a bitchy tailor, your highness."

"Don't curse. And please, call me Frigga." the queen chuckled as she took Aislin's arm and led her to the other side of the room, one with a mirror. "Do not worry, it gets much easier to walk with a bit of practice."

"I sure hope so." she slowly put her foot in front of the other, trying to keep her toes from stepping on the helm. It was harder than she thought. A corset was also tightly hugging her torso, making it rather difficult to breathe. In fact, her breath was coming out in tiny huffs. She wondered how anyone could get used to wearing such a constricting device.

Frigga gently pushed her forwards to the huge mirror on the wall. "Go look at yourself dear, and tell me if your dress is suitable."

Aislin nodded and stepped into the glass view, expecting to see a typical Cinderella dress with poofy sleeves and glitter. But the second she saw her reflection in the mirror, she found a whole entire different story.

She wasn't even recognizable. The dress wasn't poofy at all, instead, it was slender yet full at the same time. It clung tightly to her middle, making the satin fabric spill down her hips. A gold sash was tied loosely around her waist. The dress itself was a blend of black and green, the darker colors up at the top and cascading to green towards her feet. It curved gently at her breasts, and showed off the front of her chest and back. She stared at her reflection with shock and a bit of embarrassment. She looked good. Hell, she actually looked like royalty. As conceited as it was, she couldn't stop staring at herself.

"I had it made the same colors as Loki's tunic." Frigga said proudly. "You really pull it off, my dear."

"Thank you." Aislin said, finally finding her voice. "It's.. it's lovely."

Frigga came up from behind her and gently brushed back her black hair. "Your mother would be so proud to see you like this."

Aislin bit her lip and pulled her gaze away from the mirror, not feeling like telling Frigga that she didn't have a mother, or at least didn't have one that she remembered. She didn't want to dig up all the crap at a time like this, especially not to the Queen of Asgard.

The door creaked open, and both women turned at once to see Loki striding through, hair tousled and his face lined with tiredness. He gave Aislin a small smile.

"Good morning." he said softly.

"Hello, my son." Frigga greeted him with a kiss to the forehead. "You look exhausted, child. What have you been doing?"

"Checking up on things." Loki said dryly. His eyes flickered to Aislin. "I see you have been busy this morning."

Aislin scoffed.

"Indeed we have!" Frigga said enthusiastically. "Look at how beautiful she is! I hope you do like the matching colors to your tunic, Loki."

"She looks radiant." Loki said with a smile. Aislin stared at him, her face flushed red. She turned away from him, her cheeks burning.

"I shall leave you two to yourselves." Frigga said, regaining her composure. "I shall see you both at supper. Do not be late, Loki. You know how much Odin detests it."

The queen's footsteps faded and the doors closed with a heavy bang. Aislin kept her back to Loki, unable to move.

"I do approve of your color choices." she heard Loki say amusingly.

"Shut up, Laufeyson." she muttered.

He laughed instead and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. "Oh, I love you too."

Aislin couldn't help but chuckle. "You're a goof. Speaking of which, where were you last night? You never came to the chambers."

"I was checking up on things." Loki repeated. "I lost track of time."

She raised an eyebrow and turned to look at him. "You do realize that I'm still your guardian right?"

Loki merely shrugged. "I am well aware. The other Avengers do not hesitate to tell me."

Aislin bit her lip. She hoped that Tony and the others were being cordial to Loki, polite at the least. It wasn't a secret that they hated each other, especially Barton, who had never forgotten the time that Loki brainwashed him into killing innocent people. When she was around, she knew that he was safe. But now that she was trapped in here..

Loki saw the worry flash over her face, and he just shook his head pulled her into an embrace. "Do not worry so, Aislin. They have not harmed me."

"They better not have. I would kick their asses." she gave him a small smile.

"Who's asses are you kicking?" a voice suddenly rang out from behind Loki. It was Tony, his head peeped through the door and a sassy smile on his face. "May I enter the room, or were you guys about to have hot sweaty sex on the floor?"

"What the hell do you want, Tony?" Aislin snapped, her face blushing red immediately. Loki stepped out of the way and stood behind Aislin, his arms crossed over his chest and a scowl on his face.

Tony strolled in, with Steve not far behind, his face as red as Aislin's. "Captain Spangles and I just needed to get Bambi to the throne room."

"What for?" Loki asked dryly.

"King Odin has asked for a meeting to discuss how we're going to approach battle." Steve said, casting his eyes down onto the floor. "You look very lovely in your dress, Aislin."

"Thanks, Steve." Aislin turned to Loki. "You should probably go."

"You're not coming?" Tony raised an eyebrow.

"I can't, remember? I've agreed to Odin's deal and so now I can't do anything Avenger related. That would put you guys at even more risk, and I'd be putting Loki at risk too." she couldn't help but feel a tiny pang of guilt.

"We'll keep you updated." Steve gave her a curt nod and walked out of the room, beckoning for Tony and Loki to follow.

Tony gave Aislin a wink as he left. As she was rolling her eyes at him, she felt Loki's hand on her shoulder. He gave her a reassuring squeeze and then left quietly, closing the door carefully behind him.

She wasn't one of them anymore. She almost laughed at the thought.

Aislin stood in the center of the room, unsure of what to do. She caught sight of the bright blue sky peering from an open window, the curtains billowing in the wind.

She carefully walked over to it, pacing herself and making sure not to step on the hem and trip over her dress. Her fingers curled on the base of the glass. She wished that she could help her friends, but there was nothing that could be done now. Odin was right. She would just be getting in the way by using her powers and showing herself off. She still remembered how the Frost Giants reacted once they knew who she really was.

She sighed. Odin did say that she couldn't use her powers. He didn't say that she wasn't allowed to walk around Asgard, did he?

With a small grin of rebellion, she lifted herself up to the window and swung her legs over the side.


	12. Sleipnir

_For those of you who haven't read Powers Within, you should probably know that Aislin has another unique power, which is the ability to communicate with animals. :3_

* * *

Aislin hovered down to the ground, taking extra care not to tear her dress on the palace windows. She floated onto the path, her back to the great Asgardian castle. It was time to see what the great city offered. Or better yet- if it had changed since she had last been there. A smile curled on her face as she walked past the guards and onto the streets of the city. No one stopped her, and better yet, no one seemed to notice her absence.

The city hadn't changed in all the centuries she'd been gone. Buildings jutted into the sky, proud and gleaming brightly in the sunlight. It reminded her of the skyscrapers back in New York City, and as she walked, she saw one white building that was larger than the rest, with a large concrete crest on the side for walking. There were two Asgardians lounging on it, bathing in the sun as they chatted. She couldn't help but chuckle at the sight; they reminded her of Pepper and Tony.

Everything about the city was achingly familiar. From the gleaming buildings to the soft metal cobblestones underneath her feet, she realized that she remembered more than she thought. It even _smelled _the same; like fresh air and remnants of magic.

The civilians paid her any mind, much to her relief. They all continued with their daily activities, bustling into stores and emerging from the doors with their arms full of groceries or other gifts. Some of them were just standing around, talking to one another about the latest gossip. A salesman was handing out free samples of his latest beverage, and he handed one to Aislin before moving on to his next customer.

She took a sip of the cold drink. It tasted like the coffee that Fury would make in the mornings for meetings. When she finished the small cup, it instantly disappeared in her hand, something that startled her.

Everything in Asgard was truly living up to its expectations. She wished she had gone sightseeing earlier.

Someone bumped into her shoulder, and she looked up to see a formally dressed man, his long brown hair smoothed neatly back in a ponytail. His blue armor was so bright that she had to squint while looking at him. The man stared at her intently. "I do apologize, fair maiden. I was not watching my step."

"Thats.. that's alright." Aislin lifted her gaze from the blinding armor and looked at his face. She was surprised to see a young man looking back at her, with crystal blue eyes and a sweet smile. She felt her face flush. "Watch where you're going next time."

The man smiled and bowed down at her. "Very well, mysterious maiden. I am Lodur, soldier of the Asgardian realm. Tis a pleasure to be in your accompany."

"Cool." It was the most awkward response ever. She wasn't sure how to react, whether to stick out her hand and shake his hand or to curtsy like Frigga did whenever someone introduced themselves. She opted on just standing there like an idiot, feeling her face burning. "Well it was nice meeting you, but I need to go."

"Of course." Lodur bowed again, his time taking her hand and kissing it dramatically. Then his eyes rested on her new dress. Aislin felt her skin prickle uncomfortably under his gaze. "Ma'am, if you do not mind me asking, why do you wear the colors of Prince Loki?"

_Shit. _"I, uh.."

Lodur's eyes grew wide. "You are the crowned Princess of Thanos? The one that bravely fought off the Frost Giants with only one arm?"

"It wasn't one arm! I was fully capable of moving." Aislin scowled.

"I am sorry for the petulance, your highness!" Lodur got to his knees and kissed her hand again, this time with more passion than before. Aislin wanted to jerk her hand away and blast him into the sky for his creepiness, but she couldn't do a thing but stand there. At least no one was staring.

"It's fine. I just need to go." She finally got her hand back and quickly walked into the busiest part of the crowd, hearing Lodur's cries of protest behind her.

"Wait! Princess! Tis time to woo your heart!"

Aislin tightened her fists but kept moving, pushing past people and practically jogging down the streets. No doubt he was chasing her down now.

It was just her luck to run into a creep like that. And now she was defenseless, relying on Loki or someone else to protect her. Or she could destroy Lodur in his spot and be sent to the prisons for it, condemned to stay there until the whole Ague thing was taken under control. Either way, she was screwed.

She turned the corner and found that the path stopped at a gate, the area blocked by a simple fence. A large forest loomed behind the barrier, the entrance so mossy and small that it looked merely like decoration. It was the same forest that she had seen from the palace a couple days earlier.

"Princess!" Lodur's voice sang from a distance.

Aislin jostled the gate violently. It was locked with a chain and padlock, the rust cementing it in place. There was no way it was coming apart without some divine intervention.

Cursing under her breath, she hitched up her dress and started to climb upwards. She swung her leg over the side and dropped clumsily to the ground, her legs folded underneath her. The entrance of the forest was barely big enough for her to squeeze through. She pushed aside the vines and took a careful step into it, her body disappearing into the lush bushes.

Well, at least she got to see the forest like she wanted.

After a few moments of walking like a hunchback, she was finally able to walk upwards. She stretched her back and craned her head, looking around her to see where she was.

For one thing, it was dark. Even though it was a bright sunny day, and there wasn't a cloud in the sky, the trees above were so thick that they shadowed the ground. It was almost like being at night. She could see small furry animals bouncing through the leafy trees, chattering noisily and playing. One small rodent jumped out of the buses and ran by her feet, stopping for a moment to look at her, and then scurrying back into a tree.

It was just like living back in the rainforests, she marveled. Oh, how she had missed it. She had always felt at home in these kind of places, unknown to her. But the animals were always kind to her, and she could live with whatever the weather had to give her.

She jumped over a dead tree and continued onwards, hoping to stumble on the opening back to the Asgardian palace. It was better than being on the streets being chased by the creepy warrior. She shuddered as she wiped furiously at her hand, still feeling the remaining spit on her skin. Telling Loki about her experience probably wouldn't be a good idea, she realized. Hell, telling any of them about Lodur might lead into unnecessary trouble.

They had enough trouble without her mucking it up.

Aislin sighed and rested for a moment on a tree, her stomach straining uncomfortably against the corset. How the hell did women do anything in these things?

She was about to start walking again when she heard a small voice.

_"Father...?" _

It sounded like it was in her head, like a breathy whisper. She launched herself off the tree with a small yelp, her heart pounding. Did she really... No. It couldn't be. Not again.

"Hello?" she called out to the forest.

There wasn't a response, and she felt like smacking her head in exasperation. Ever since the encounter with the talking sea-turtle, she could never shake the thought that she heard animals speaking to her. She was losing her mind.

_"Father..?" _The voice said again, getting a little louder. It sounded like a small child.

Aislin turned around, and saw nothing again. "Who's there?" she asked loudly. She quickly scooped up a large limb. "I have a stick!"

To her astonishment, a huge horse trotted out of the forest. It was pure black with a full mane, its huge eyes shining as he gazed at her. It flickered his tail once, and then pawed the ground as though it was surprised to see her. The weirdest thing of all was the second hoof on each foot, instead of one. It neighed loudly and went up in the air, then crashed back onto the ground and eyed her.

_"You are not Father." _the horse said suspiciously.

Aislin tightened her grip on the stick and glared at it. "No, I'm definitely not your father. Sorry."

The horse snorted and shook his head. _"Why are you wearing his tunic then, strange lady?" _

She froze. What the hell?

_"Did I say something wrong?" _A small ounce of worry creeped into its voice. _"Strange Lady?" _

"Loki..?" Aislin mumbled, trying to grasp what she was thinking.

_"Father!" _The horse cheered, trotting around her happily. _"Has he accompanied you? I do not see him! Oh strange lady, thank you! I missed Father." _

"You're a horse.." she dropped the stick and leaned against the tree trunk. "..Loki is your father. Holy crap."

_"He has not come to see me in many moons." _The horse stopped trotting. _"I thought he had left me and never was never coming back. But he finally did! Hooray!" _

Aislin took in a deep breath. Laufeyson would have some explaining to do later. "I was just wandering the forest to get back to the palace. He's not with me."

The horse stared at her with large shining eyes. _"So he did not come to see me?" _

"I.. I don't know." she stammered, unsure of how to answer. To her horror, the horse started to make sniffling sounds, like a young child about to start bawling its eyes out. She didn't even know horses could cry.

Granted, she had never spoken to one.

"I'm sorry." she said at last. "I'm sure he'll come and visit you."

_"No one ever visits me." _The horse wailed, pawing anxiously at the ground. _"Only the man with the eyepatch. He my grandfather. But no one else. Not even Father." _

"Where's your mother?" she asked gently.

_"I don't have one." _The horse sounded somber now. _"No brother. No sister. Only Father." _

Aislin stared at the horse. He looked like an adult horse, but knowing how Asgardian time worked, he was young, a child still. She made a mental note to pound the crap out of Loki later for his negligence. "Fathers suck, don't they?"

There was a sniffle. _"I miss Father." _

The horse stepped closer to her. Aislin hesitated before reaching out her hand, gently stroking its snout. He was a gentle giant, she realized. A child who wanted its parent.

"I'll tell him to come and visit you." she promised. "I'll drag him here if I have to."

The horse nuzzled into her hand. _"Yous a nice lady. Whats your name nice lady?" _

"Aislin." she said. "What's yours?"

_"Mah name is Sleipnir!" _the horse announced proudly.

"Sleipnir. That's a nice name." Aislin said amusingly.

Sleipnir threw his head upwards and pawed at the ground again. _"Yous a nice lady, Aislin. Will you be my friend? I all lonely here. And yous all by yourself, so yous must be lonely too!" _

Aislin couldn't help but smile. "Sure. We can be friends."

_"Now I have both you and Father to see!" _Sleipnir said excitedly. _"I wanna show you my stable!" _

"Your stable?"

_"Yeas! Odin made it all specials for me. And Father added a bunch of magic stuff. It really fun." _Sleipnir babbled on. _"I shows you, cuz yous my friend. It back at the palace." _

Finally. "Okay. Lets go see your stable." she said. Sleipnir pranced around her once, and then stopped in front of her, his side facing her. He looked at her once with his large eyes, as though he was waiting for something.

_"What you doing Aislin? Get on my back. I take you!" _He said to her.

Aislin eyed his back and then slowly got on, feeling unstable as she rested on his back. It was so.. high. She felt uncomfortable being up in the air without flying. But it was easy enough, she rested her palms down on his mane.

Sleipnir pawed at the ground. _"Hangs on, Aislin."_

* * *

_Horse logic. _

_Please review. :3_


	13. It's Taken Over

Sleipnir wasn't joking when he said to hang on.

Aislin clung to his mane for dear life, desperately trying not to shriek as her body was thrown around. Riding a horse was a completely different concept than flying; she wasn't in control of anything. She merely shut her eyes as the scenery of the forest rushed by them in a blur of green. Sleipnir jumped over something large, both their bodies hanging in midair for a second. Aislin dared to open one of her eyes and saw a large fence rushing towards them. This time, she let out a yell and dove her head into Sleipnir's mane, expecting to hear a loud crash.

_"I always make that jump." _she heard Sleipnir boast to himself. _"Always always always." _

Aislin slowly opened her eyes again. They were standing in a large golden meadow with the Asgardian palace looming in the distance. As she looked behind her, she saw the giant metal gate that blocked off the forest, a chain wrapped around the hinges. Sleipnir trotted away from forest, his hoofs making tiny sounds in the grass.

_"That was fun!" _he said joyously. _"May we do that again, Aislin?" _

"Maybe later." she said shakily, sliding down to the ground in relief. Her legs felt like jello.

Sleipnir nuzzled the ground and nibbled on some grass. Then he looked up at her with large eyes. _"It has been many moons since I have had someone to run with. Father never does anymore. Only Eye-Patch man." _

"You mean Odin?" Aislin asked as she walked alongside him, her hand resting on his side so he wouldn't get too far ahead of her.

_"Grandfather." _Sleipnir corrected. _"He train me to be warrior horse, just like all the others. When I big and strong, like Father, I get to fight by his side and take him into battle! It is supposed to be the bestest honor that I could gets. I even gets a helm like Father gots. Isn't it cool, Aislin?" _

Aislin smiled thinly, even though her stomach was turning with disgust for Odin. The man was forcing his grandkid to fight in wars that weren't his? Granted, he was a horse, but still. Sleipnir was still a child. What the hell was wrong with Asgard anyway? Despite her thoughts, she still forced a small smile. "That's very cool, Sleipnir. I bet you'll be the best warrior horse out there."

Sleipnir neighed, which Aislin took as a good sign. They continued walking until they reached a small white gate, one that led to a large barn. It was behind the palace, and well shaded from the suns. She pushed open the gate and Sleipnir walked through with ease, galloping towards the barn at full speed. He disappeared into the building, and then his head peered out through the door like he was expecting her to run in with him.

_"Hurry Aislin hurry!" _

"I'm coming!" Pushing aside the worries about the dress or disgust for the rest of Asgard, she ran towards the stable and slipped into the building.

Inside was the prettiest stable she had ever seen in her life. It was huge, with marble walls and golden lights that shone brilliantly on the ceiling. As she walked inside, her shoes made soft clicking sounds on the marble. Sleipnir trotted into his stable, an elegantly made structure that was made of smooth, white stone. As she gently ran a hand over it, she could see faint golden letters appearing where her hand had touched it, spelling out 'Sleipnir'. She smiled to herself. No doubt this entire place was Loki's doing, with all the magic that enchanted the stone. It was beautiful.

But it was empty. Sleipnir was the only horse in here.

_"Father worked very hard to make this for me." _Sleipnir said quietly, as if he read her thoughts. _"And I likes it a lot. I am very grateful." _

"Do you get lonely?" Aislin asked, pulling away from the pillars. She thought she swore a sad look pass over the horse's face.

_"Sometimes. No one can talks to me, cept Father and yous." _There was a small pause. _"How come you can talks to me but no one else can?" _

Aislin stiffened racked her brain for an explanation. She was unsure how to possibly tell him about her... abilities. She groped for something to give him. "It's hard to explain. Uh.. It's a part of my talents, I guess. I can speak to animals, and it sounds like they're talking in my head. That's why no one else can hear you, Sleipnir."

Sleipnir seemed to accept that. _"Does your Father possess those talents as well?" _

"I don't know." Aislin shrugged. "I don't know much about my Father."

_"Why?" _Sleipnir asked, the question out of innocence. She blinked for a moment, again at a loss for words. The concept of Thanos was still shaky to even her- and the face that Thanos turned out to be an abusive asshole with a craving for power. But she didn't feel like telling Sleipnir about her own crappy dad; that wouldn't really make him feel any better.

"We don't get along very well." she said at last, hoping that it would be enough to tide him over. "He's a bad man whos done a lot of bad things."

Sleipnir looked at her somberly, seeming to understand what she was saying. He merely walked over to her and nuzzled her shoulder. She patted his nose comfortingly, his nose sniffing curiously at her multicolored locks. Then he looked at her again, his eyes wide with childish mischief.

_"Sometimes, when the servants come in to give me oats, I kick dust into the air so that they stumble into my water bucket." _

Aislin grinned. "Like Father like son."

* * *

By the time Aislin stepped foot back into the palace, it was pitch black outside and the crickets were chirping. She had no idea what time it was; although it didn't really matter since no one seemed to notice her absence. She was dirty and tired after spending most of the day with Sleipnir, who seemed to appreciate her company more than anything. He dragged her around the stable, showing her his special food and the things he got to do in training. He just seemed happy to have a friend that actually understood what he was saying, instead of assuming that he was a horse and just throwing him an apple. Even though he loved apples.

But now she was exhausted. She pushed herself down the hall to her room, walking more sluggish than before. She wasn't quite mad at Loki as before, even though his negligence was still pawing at her gut. Seriously; they had been in Asgard for weeks now, and he still hasn't visited him? She couldn't quite blame him, due to what was happening at the moment, but still. After what Loki had gone through with Odin, one would think that he would fix his mistakes.

She shoved her bedroom door open and closed it behind her, her legs finally giving out underneath her. Trying to run with a horse proved to be much harder than she thought.

She still felt a pang for Sleipnir. He was only a child, even if he was a large horse that could trample people underneath his hooves. But she knew that size and appearances never mattered.

Still, he seemed excited to become a warrior horse and step into battle someday, wearing the helm that a warrior horse wielded. Maybe sometime she'd try to train with him, if her body didn't give out from exhaustion first.

There was a sudden, sharp knock at the door. Startled, Aislin jumped to her feet and stared at the door as though she expected it to fly open on it's own. Then she sighed. _You go a couple days of not using your powers and you're already being a wuss. __  
_

She opened the door, half-expecting to see Loki or Tony. To her surprise, it was Jane, Thor's scientist girlfriend. Before she could greet her, Jane pushed past her silently and into her bedroom. Well then.

Aislin closed the door, slightly puzzled. "Is something wrong?"

"Cut the crap, Thana." Jane snapped. Aislin flinched at the mention of her last name, her mouth dropped open in shock. Jane looked around the room quickly, as though the place disgusted her. "So. This is where you and Loki come to hook up, isn't it. It's kind of a crappy place, I expected skeletons and rotting bodies in one corner and magic books in the other."

Aislin stared at her with disbelief while Jane leaned against the bedpost, casual as ever. "You two make a cute monster couple, you know that? Both evil, craving power, and liking the concept of death." she grinned.

"What the hell?" Aislin snapped, balling her hands into fists. The shock was slowly dwindling away, replaced by white-hot anger. The comment about the monster couple got under her skin. Jane's wide smile at her anger only fueled her annoyance.

"Well, Princess, I'm here to ask you something." The smile dropped, and Jane's eyes narrowed until they were slits, a scowl taking over her face. "And you'd better not give me a bullshit answer, because I'm tired of mysteries."

Aislin raised an eyebrow. "What do you want?"

In one swift motion, Jane pulled at the delicate front of Aislin's dress and shoved her down. Aislin yelped as she felt her body thump hard against the ground, her head nearly coming in contact with the bed-frame. Jane giggled and pushed her onto her back, where she sat heavily on her stomach and roughly pinned her wrists above her head. Aislin struggled and tried to free her hands, but the scientist was much stronger than she was.

There was something wrong. No human was that strong, not even one as highly trained as Natasha.

With one strong hand, Jane took Aislin's face and jerked it in line to hers. She found herself staring helplessly into Jane's eyes, her face glazed over in a sickened smile.

Aislin still struggled, despite the iron strength holding her to the floor. Even more horrific, Jane's normally brown eyes changed to an icy blue. The sight made her skin prickle and her blood run cold. She choked back a scream as she recognized the color. She wished desperately for Loki to come into the room and end the insanity, but nothing happened, and she was left staring at Jane with shock.

Jane clamped a hand over Aislin's mouth and leaned next to her ear, her breath hot against her skin. "Listen to me, you little lying piece of shit. I know what you are, unlike everyone else in this damned place. You have them all fooled with that little hero act; but I'll give you props on tricking the God of Mischief. That must be harder than it looks."

Aislin wrenched her head to the side. Thankfully, Jane let go of her mouth and she was able to speak. "What the hell is wrong with you?" she spat. "Whatever is happening, fight it. It's Ague. He's..."

"I don't care about Ague. I only want what you have." she felt Jane's mouth chuckle against her ear, and she cringed. A mouth moved against her neck, and teeth grazed roughly against the skin. "Your power. The one that you're not allowed to use because you made a promise to the All-Father. Now, that can't go to waste, can it?"

Aislin moved violently, her breath cut off by the weight on her stomach. So that was what this was about. "You can't take whats not yours."

"NO!" Jane moved her head back up and angrily slashed a claw across her face. "You don't deserve it! You're just some stupid evil villain who wants the entire universe! Well go ahead and take it! But I want another Tesseract- and you're the only one that can give it to me!" She stopped screaming and bent her fingernails into Aislin's wrist instead. "So how do you make it? What do you do?" she hissed quietly.

Aislin stubbornly kept her mouth shut, staring up at Jane with hatred written on her face. Several minutes ticked by, and the look of impatience grew on Jane's face. Suddenly, the girl squeezed her wrists together, and there was a loud cracking sound followed by the pained whimpers.

"You NEED to tell me! Do you know how long I worked? Weeks... months.. All because I wanted to find a way how to reopen the portal to Asgard! And you just waltz in here with your stupid cube- able to open whatever portal you like! Then you just give it away and pretend to be the fucking victim of it all! I've worked so hard and got nowhere, AND I'M TIRED OF LOSING!" Jane shrieked.

Aislin gasped from the pain, her eyes welling with tears. She longed to use her powers to knock Jane off and send her to the nearest psychologist, but she was helpless. Fucking helpless to defend herself. All because of a promise she had made to Odin. Tears now streamed down her face as she felt Jane's fingernails break into her skin.

"You... can't.." she muttered, trying to force out a full sentence.

"Repeat?" Jane asked dangerously.

"You can't make another Tesseract." Aislin stuttered, her voice strained with Jane's weight on her already tight corset. "I made it in the Tenth Realm... from a special rock... You can't travel there.. it's off-limits because it's Thanos territory.."

"You're lying." Jane hissed.

"I'm not lying!" Aislin snapped. She felt Jane's hands weaken on her wrist, and she quickly shoved the brunette off her stomach, sending her tumbling into the wall with a loud groan. Aislin floated to her feet, her legs still shaky and her hands trembling from the bloody holes that Jane put in her skin. Despite her promise to Odin, her fists were glowing blue and pointed to Jane, daring her to attack again. The both of them stared at each other, tense and poised to attack.

Aislin spoke again, her voice steady. "A second Tesseract is impossible, even if you have the power. Besides, why do you want a second one when you know how much trouble it is in the first place?"

Jane growled, her eyes glowing brightly with blue anger. "Nothing is impossible. I will go to the Tenth Realm myself, if I have to. I will!" There was a tone of desperation. "I don't care what happens to everyone else!"

"You'd die instantly, Jane. Humans can't live on the Tenth Realm; the air is too poisonous and the Walking Dead is everywhere." Aislin's tone softened, although she didn't put her fists down. "This isn't your usual self. You don't have to prove yourself to anyone. Thor loves you for the way you are."

There was silence for a moment. Then there was the sound of ragged breathing, and Jane shuffled slowly to her feet. There was an ugly bruise on the girl's cheek, but Aislin wasn't sure if she even noticed it. She was still staring intently at Aislin the way a lion would stare at it's dead prey, and it made her uncomfortable. She wasn't sure what was more unnerving, Jane attacking her or being as silent as she was now.

"...I will get that power." Jane said softly. She opened the door and stared back at Aislin with a small smile on her face. "Even if I have to kill you to get it.."

The door closed, and Aislin was left in the room alone, her fists still glowing a bright blue.

* * *

_Review. :3_


	14. What a mess we're in, Thor

Aislin lay in the bed, clutching her throbbing wrists and shuddering underneath the blankets. Even though she was covered in blankets, her naked body was shivering with sweat. The lights were off and the curtains were tightly closed, the window behind the heavy fabric locked tightly. The door wasn't any different, she had shoved her dresser in front of it. The room was tightly closed off from the rest of the palace, and no one could get in.

After the incident with Jane a few hours ago, she felt the familiar terror squeeze her chest. She had whimpered like a small child when Jane had left, sinking down to the floor and staring off into space, her eyes huge with fear and tears welling up before she could stop it. Then she had torn off her clothing in a fit of both anger and fear, throwing the new dress at the wall and watching it crumple down in a heap. It was the Tenth Realm all over again; monsters that looked like people but were actually demons that would try and tear her face off. For one terrifying second, she was back in that place, alone and staring at the dark masses of death that surrounded her. She blinked for a moment, trying to breathe.

She had never feared a human before. Even though the thing that was taking over her mind _wasn't _human.

A soft voice was whispering in her mind, one that she had forgotten about until now. It was a dark voice, whispering horrid things in her mind. Chanting the same sentence over and over until it was embedded in her mind. She let out a soft wail as she tried to block it out, her already broken fingernails raking against her shoulders.

_Beware of the one who deceives and lies. _

_Join me. Join my army. _

_And you will know peace. _

She grimaced to herself and adjusted the bandage on her wrist again. She tried to fall asleep, trying to forget about the disturbing events of the day. She squeezed her eyes shut and shuddered, tears spilling down her cheeks.

After about an hour, her muscles finally relaxed and her breathing became more labored, and she sunk into the bed in a fitful sleep, the nightmares starting to climb up from the recesses of her mind.

_Join me. Join me, sister. _

_And you will know peace. _

* * *

Loki sighed as he got up from his seat, his legs feeling extraordinarily sore from sitting for hours. The meeting had been as droll and boring as he had predicted; full of nothing but ramblings from Odin and jabs at the map of Asgard. There were a few amusing moments when Tony got bored of the meeting and put his feet up on the table, much to the Asgardian Council's disgust, and was nearly exiled for his behavior. The man merely gave them his dazzling smile and was awarded by a sharp slam to the face by the Black Widow. But other than that- Loki found the meeting pointless and a waste of his time. He wasn't considered part of the Avengers, nor was he considered part of the Asgardian warriors. He was a nobody.

A nobody that seemed to be infatuated with the Princess of Death, as the rumors said.

He forced out a chuckle as he stretched his arms and pushed his way past the crowding servants. Oh yes, he had heard the rumors. Asgard was never shy about gossip. And it seemed that all the attention, for the second time in his life, was focused intently on his life. And, of course, the attention wasn't the good kind. It seemed as though he wasn't the only one fond of Aislin.

His skin prickled as a guard gave him a sneer, his grey eyes flashing with hunger. Loki brushed past him and tried to push down the feeling of rage and disgust. He knew exactly what the guard was thinking.

_Watch your back, Silvertongue, or your precious Aislin will be mine. _

Loki almost wished that he had never left Earth to begin with, as foreign and unfamiliar it was to him, at least she was safe to use her powers as she pleased. Now she was almost rendered helpless, unfit to wield a sword if she tried.

He pushed his way out of the crowded room and stepped into the almost empty hall, finally able to breathe for the first time in what felt like hours. He suddenly heard loud footsteps echoing behind him, and he quickly turned around and saw Thor striding behind him with a large smile on his face. Loki felt the relief in his chest suddenly constrict.

He grunted as Thor slapped him heartily on the shoulder. "Brother, tis a successful meeting day! Has it been as beneficial for you as well it was for the rest of us?"

"I suppose." he sighed, rubbing his hand over his aching shoulder. "Although I would have much rather abided my time differently. I don't feel comfortable having Aislin roam the palace alone."

"Do not fear, brother. You and Aislin will have quality time for the rest of the night." Thor gave him a toothy smile. "She will be relieved; I am sure she has been unoccupied all day."

Loki snorted. "You do not know her as well as I do, Thor."

Thor's face scrunched up in confusion. "I see. Well, brother, do not hesitate to spend more time with her. And do make sure she stays out of mischief- she is still on a very thin line with the All-Father."

"I am aware." Loki said crisply. He glanced down the hall and saw the dark window, the night sky glaring down over the city. He turned back to Thor. "As for right now, its late, and I wish to return to the chambers for rest."

"Of course." Thor slapped him on the other shoulder, causing him to wince. "Get all the rest you need. The Captain has ordered for us to train on the morrow, and you are free to join us if you wish. Now that Aislin is no longer able to help, we need all the extra help we can get."

Loki nodded once and then walked off down the hall, leaving Thor behind him. As tired as he was, there was still a twinge of hurt from the depths of his chest.

_You are free to join us **if you wish.** _

The Avengers truly didn't want him to join, they were merely saying that so Thor would be appeased. Loki wanted to laugh at the ridiculousness of it. Now matter how much he pushed Thor away, or how villainous he made himself, Thor would still come to him, calling him 'brother'. He'd always waltz into Loki's life with a large smile on his face, radiating emotion like a teenage girl and always so damn happy to see him. No matter what he had done, there was always a death-crushing embrace and a warm, "Good to see you again, brother."

Loki scoffed and opened the hall to the chambers. Why did it matter what Thor thought of him anyways? He had lived his entire life in his shadow, unnoticed by everyone around him. By the Asgardian maidens, by the warriors, even by Odin himself.

He finally got to his chambers, breathing a sigh of relief as he recognized the dark green doorway, touched by his magic. He put his hand on the handle and pushed the door, but it didn't open.

Puzzled, he pushed harder, but the door still didn't open. Something on the other side was blocking his entry.

"Aislin?" he said softly, knocking on the door. "Are you in there?"

There was no answer; the only sound was his heartbeat rushing in his ears. He pressed his shoulder against the door and pushed, but it didn't move an inch.

Something was wrong, he could feel it. He let out a yell and pushed up against the door, trying to get it to move. When it didn't, he stepped back a few inches and stared at it. He pointed his hand at the door and murmured an ancient spell he remembered, and almost instantly the door opened an inch, the sound of the wood hitting something echoing in the hall. With a grunt, he smashed his body into it and fell onto the floor of the chambers.

He slowly rolled onto his back and closed the door with his foot, his hand up against something hard. It was the dresser. Loki blinked in confusion as he stood up, his shoulder aching more than ever.

The chambers were dark. He quickly waved his hand and the candles flickered on, lazily lighting up the bedroom.

His entire chamber was trashed, much to his disbelief. There were things scattered all over the floor, his books were thrown against the strangest of places and the pages lying open. There was a crumpled pile of fabric lying on the floor by the window, the silky fabric slightly familiar as he stared at it. His eyes glanced over to his bed- there was a small lump in the blankets, moving and twisting silently. Beside the bed and the person, there was a vicious scratch in the wall. It looked like fingernails had been raked across it. It seemed that a fight had taken place in the room.

But with who?

Loki slowly approached the bed, fear slowly creeping into his throat. He touched the blanket, and when there was no violent reaction, he slowly pulled it back.

There was a mop of jet-black hair, with red and gold mixed into the strands. A small face with tightly clutched eyes was lying against the pillow, wet tears still streaked down her face. A smudge of red was smudged on her cheek. Loki quickly yanked back the rest of the blankets, his mind running through a million scenarios. _Blood, why is there blood... _"Aislin, wake up. Wake up!"

She didn't move, her eyes still clamped shut. Loki peeled back the damp blankets, horrified to see dark, wet blood staining the fabrics and the bed. He tossed everything over the side, and then he let out a muffled yelp of surprise. She was naked, her skin slick with sweat and a thin film of blood. There was a horrid graze on her neck, something that looked similar to teeth marks. Loki gently pushed her onto her back and tried to wake her up, tears of panic welling up in his eyes.

* * *

_I know this chapter wasn't the most exciting. It gets better. _

_Please, leave some reviews for me! They motivate me to update a lot faster :) _


	15. Lying to the God of Mischief

Aislin was in a dark, cold place. Her eyes were tightly closed and she refused to open them, in fear that she would be staring face to face with an Entity. Every inch of her body was throbbing ferociously, especially her wrists from where Jane had pinned her. A cold gust of air hit her body, and she felt herself shiver again.

The cold. How she hated the cold.

She faintly heard pounding on the door, but she ignored it. She didn't want to get up and answer and have whoever it was see her like this. Or worse, have another experience with psychopathic Jane. She simply clutched her wrists and writhed in the blankets to try and get her warm. The thought of Ague rose in her mind; his mouth turned up in a smug grin and his eyes glittering a cold purple. His handsome face was hidden underneath a strange helmet with a skull crushed into the metal- the helm of Thanos. And somehow, Aislin knew that she was truly looking at her brother. Whatever magic he had used had gotten to her.

She wasn't surprised that the magic had surpassed Asgardian walls. In the helpless state she was in, anyone could get to her if they truly wanted to. She felt trapped; unable to protect herself and unable to escape from the horrors that were happening.

Aislin felt a wave of relief as the vision of Ague disappeared and was replaced with a dull darkness. He was gone, for now. Hopefully he would stay at bay, and she desperately hoped that he would leave Jane alone. She thought hard as she clutched her injured wrists. Wasn't Jane under Thor's protection?

Or was even Thor powerless against the Prince of Death?

She debated on whether to tell someone about what had happened with Jane. She wanted to- she wanted to get Jane and her assistant back to Earth where they would be safe, they could work on their research without the worry of an attack. Aislin felt her heart pound harder as she realized that Jane could merely lie to everyone and claim that she was going crazy, that she was making up stories to attract attention to herself.

_That's not true! _Her mind screamed. _Tell the truth! You know that this will end badly if you don't. Thor's hurt feelings are small in comparison to an innocent death. _

Her thoughts were suddenly shattered as she heard a faint yelling. She could barely hear it, she was far too lost in her own mind. As she concentrated, she thought she heard a familiar voice. Shouting her name.

Someone grabbed at her injured wrists and she let out a scream of pain. Everything suddenly became clearer, as though a veil was ripped off her face and she could finally breathe.

Her eyes shot open and she found herself staring face to face with the God of Mischief himself, his emerald eyes tearing up and his face lined with obvious panic. Aislin opened her mouth to say something, but her voice didn't seem to work, and she was left gaping like an idiot. Loki hissed something and shook her roughly, saying something unintelligible.

For one terrifying instant, Aislin found herself unable to say anything. After a second, the phase passed, and everything finally came flowing back to her. She lifted herself up and let the blankest slip from her shoulders, gently touching Loki's face. "L-oki. Stop."

Loki stared at her in disbelief, but let go of her shoulders and backed up a few inches. He didn't say anything, he merely kept staring at her as though she had sprouted another head. Aislin struggled to sit herself up, her arms shaking from the work as she leaned against the headboard of the bed. Sudden cold flashed through her skin, and she winced. Why was it so cold?

Wait- why was _she _so cold? And why was Loki staring at her like that?

It dawned on her. She had taken off her dress earlier, and she hadn't gotten back into it since. Her cheeks flared red with humiliation as she slowly looked down at herself. She was naked. Buck-ass naked.

In front of a god, no less.

With a small yelp, she grabbed a sheet and covered herself sloppily, wrapping her hand around her chest. Then she looked at Loki, who was still staring at her with wide eyes.

"Hi." she said weakly, feeling utterly stupid. _Way to go, Aislin. Seriously, good job. __  
_

Loki blinked slowly, his cheeks slightly flushed. "Hello." he said dryly.

There was an awkward silence between them. Aislin fiddled with her hands for a second. "So.. Uh.. I had a busy day."

"Obviously." was the short, curt answer. Aislin inwardly winced.

"I was scouting in the woods earlier and I had a small accident." She looked away as she lied, brushing her fingers over her wrists and the small graze on her neck. "The animals of Asgard aren't as friendly as the ones on Earth, it seems."

Loki raised an eyebrow. "A simple creature did that to you?"

"Yes." Aislin said swiftly, biting her lip. She wanted to bring up Sleipnir and talk about Ague and just feel better about the whole situation, but something was stopping her. She didn't know what; she just couldn't bring herself to mention it. With a sigh, she flippantly fiddled with the sheets and settled for a normal, but boring question. "How was the meeting?"

"Twas fine." Loki answered curtly, his emerald eyes boring into hers. It was as though he knew something was off, but wasn't pressing matters. It was making her nervous.

"That's all? Tony didn't cause a scene or anything? I was sort of expecting an interesting story." she said, forcing her voice to be casual.

"He managed to nearly get himself kicked out by the Aesir Council." he said, a ghost of a smile hinting at his lips. "The Black Widow did not find that pleasing, and she gave him a very forward smack to the head. That was the only entertainment, however. I wished I had spent my time elsewhere."

"Practicing your voodoo and such?" Aislin asked with a grin, pointing at the spellbooks on the floor.

"Speaking of _voodoo,__" _Loki said smoothly. "May I ask why you are naked?"

Aislin felt her cheeks flush, and she grasped for an answer. _Oh, I just threw a fear tantrum after I was attacked by Thor's girlfriend. No big deal. _

Loki smirked, a glint of mischievousness in his eyes. "Well?"

"Don't Asgardians walk around naked a lot of the time anyway?" she huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "I'm pretty sure Thor strides around the halls in his birthday suit. Not that I want to see that."

"_Most _Asgardians don't partake in such activities unless it's for showing off one's toned physique." Loki chuckled, looking extremely amused by her explanation. He crossed his arms and flashed her a devious smile. "And for.. other pressing matters as well."

Her face flushed further at the second phrase. It wouldn't take a scientist to figure out what the other pressing matters was. "Glad to know that sex is on your mind, Laufeyson."

Loki's mouth dropped open in shock, much to her satisfaction. Then he smiled again, with that same glint of mischief in his eyes. "Isn't it on everyones', Agent Aislin?"

"No." she said stubbornly. "And I told you not to call me Agent."

With a small laugh, Loki quickly wrapped her in his arms, her back resting against his chest. He nuzzled his head against her shoulder. "But you _are _a Midgardian agent, are you not?"

Despite the crappy day she just went through, she managed to laugh and swatted at Loki's straying hand. "I was bought into Shield because of you, dummy."

"And here I thought you loved me." was the muffled whisper. He kissed the small graze on her neck, gently, and wrapped his arms even tighter around her.

Aislin laughed and turned around her face him, arms wrapped around his neck. She pecked a kiss on his lips and rested her head on his shoulder, curling into him. She finally felt safe, the painful wounds on her wrist fading. Her eyes darted to the spellbooks still lying on the floor, and she wondered how hard it would be to learn magic herself.

Perhaps some other time, she mused.

* * *

Natasha rested her head on the toilet, feeling her stomach heave heavily. She threw her head in the toilet again, vomiting for the fifth time that day. She dry-heaved painfully for a couple seconds, gasping for air and feeling drool drip down her skin. Her fingers clutched the toilet tightly, her fingers nearly growing white.

Finally, she stumbled to her feet and walked out of the bathroom, feeling more nauseous than ever.

She made her way to her bedroom and opened the door with a push, slamming it behind her. Barton was lying on the bed, flipping through a magazine with a bored look on his face. She glared at him, not in the mood for his usual crap.

"What are you doing here?" she snapped.

Barton looked up at her and grinned. "I was walking by and your door was open. Just thought I'd drop by, since you weren't here to stop me."

Natasha scowled. "Get out, Clint."

"I'm good right here." he said casually, beckoning her over to the bed. "You look like you need a hug, Nat. Does someone need some Hawkeye love?"

"I don't need anything except for you getting your ass out the door." she growled, balling her hands into fists. She felt a slight surge of relief as the nausea faded, but she still felt incredibly uneasy. Barton stared at her with a look of confusion. He sat up and walked to her, unwavering.

"What's wrong, Nat?" he asked softly, all joking aside. He carefully took her balled fists in his hands and gently pried it apart, clasping his fingers in hers. "Is everything alright? You're all pale."

Natasha stared at him, her face expressionless. "I'm just feeling a bit sick. It'll pass."

"Are you sure?" His eyebrows knit together in worry. "If you need to rest for a couple days instead of training, everyone will understand."

"I don't need that bullshit, Clint." Natasha said tiredly. "I just probably ate something that went bad."

"If you're sure.." He said softly.

Natasha shook her head and unraveled her hands from his. "I'm sure about a lot of things, Clint. Besides, we have more things to worry about than a little stomach bug."

Barton nodded his head and his face tightened, his demeanor now serious. "You heard the Aesir council today- the Jotun army is getting bigger with each day. It looks like Ague finally got to be the king of something."

"Its only a matter of time before Odin orders the march into Jotunheim to end this mess." Natasha said coolly. She sat down on her bed and took out the dagger hidden in her boot, tracing her hand over the sharp device. "We're going to be fighting both the death army and Frost Giants. We're not prepared."

"Hell no." Barton muttered. "Especially since Aislin isn't allowed to do anything."

Natasha threw her dagger down onto the sheets. "Am I the only one who thinks that Odin's deal is a little... stupid?"

"Calling the All-Father stupid in Asgard isn't the smartest idea, Nat." Barton sat on the bed next to her. "But no, you're not the only one who thinks it's a bit fishy."

"Maybe Odin is trying to protect her?" Barton suggested.

She shrugged. "All I know is that without her, it's going to be hard to fight off Ague."

The both of them sat in silence, not saying anything for the longest time. Natasha felt the nausea return to her, and her stomach was twisting uncomfortably. It was certainly unusual for her, since she was hardly ill. She brushed it off. She lay down on the bed, feeling like she was going to barf everywhere again. She felt Barton's hand on her shoulder.

"Seriously, Nat. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." she muttered, feeling her stomach lurch again. She jumped up from her bed and ran to the door, down to the bathrooms. As she threw up in the toilet once again, she felt a pressing fear in her chest.

_I am so not fine. _

* * *

_Authors Note: So I have a lot of exciting plans for this upcoming story! However, school is starting next week so I might not be able to update as fast as I'd like, so please bear with me. :l _

_Leave a review for me, please. :)_


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